PAIN CONTROL IN THE WEEK FOLLOWING LAPAROSCOPIC SURGERY - A COMPARISON OF SUSTAINED-RELEASE IBUPROFEN AND PARACETAMOL

This study compared pain relief and adverse events from sustained-rele ase ibuprofen and paracetamol administered for a week after laparoscop ic cholecystectomy. Patients were randomly assigned to receive sustain ed-release ibuprofen (2x800mg once daily) or paracetamol (2x500mg PRN up to 4 hourly). Oxycodone tablets (5 mg) were available for rescue an algesia. Patients kept a pain diary for 1 week and were assessed by th e investigators 24 h after surgery and at the surgical follow-up clini c. Patients receiving ibuprofen (n=46) reported lower pain scores (sca le 0-4, where 0=no pain and 4=unbearable pain) than those receiving pa racetamol (n=44) (mean 1.07 vs 1.35) and consumed less oxycodone (mean 0.83 vs 1.67 tablets). Although these differences were not statistica lly significant (P=0.057 and P=0.12 respectively), the 95% confidence interval for the difference in mean pain scores was -0.01 to +0.55 ind icating that sustained-release ibuprofen was equivalent or superior to paracetamol. Nineteen patients who received ibuprofen reported a tota l of 33 adverse events compared to 13 patients receiving paracetamol w ho reported 13 adverse events (P=0.24). Sustained-release ibuprofen is as good as or better than paracetamol for the control of pain after l aparoscopic surgery.