INTRAVENOUS ADMINISTRATION OF TENOXICAM 40 MG FOR POSTOPERATIVE ANALGESIA - A DOUBLE-BLIND, PLACEBO-CONTROLLED MULTICENTER STUDY

The analgesic efficacy of tenoxicam, a newer injectable non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, for post-operative analgesia after abdominal o r orthopaedic surgery in ASA Grade I/II patients is reported. Two hund red and fifty-six patients received a single dose of tenoxicam 40 mg i ntravenous (i.v.) at the end of surgery and this was repeated 24 h lat er. These patients were compared, with respect to pain or adverse even ts, with 258 patients that received placebo. All patients were monitor ed for the next 72 h. Overall, tenoxicam provided reliable analgesia w ith comparable pain scores at rest, moving and coughing. The cumulativ e rescue PCA-morphine consumption was always lower in the tenoxicam tr eated patients and was most marked at 4 and 24 h after the second inje ction of tenoxicam. This effect was more pronounced after abdominal su rgery. The intravenous administration of tenoxicam was associated with a low incidence of adverse events and a high tolerability.