Related Experiment Videos
Single dose paracetamol (acetaminophen), with and without codeine, for postoperative pain.
A Moore1, S Collins, D Carroll
1Cochrane Pain, Palliative and Supportive Care Group, Pain Research Unit, Churchill Hospital, Old Road, Oxford, UK, OX3 7LJ.
The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
|May 5, 2000
Summary
Paracetamol effectively manages postoperative pain. Adding codeine provides greater pain relief but may increase drowsiness and dizziness. Both are important for moderate to severe pain management.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacology
- Pain Management
- Clinical Trials
Background:
- Postoperative pain management is often inadequate.
- Paracetamol (acetaminophen) is a widely used non-opiate analgesic.
- There is a need to evaluate analgesics for moderate to severe pain.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the efficacy of single-dose oral paracetamol alone and with codeine.
- To evaluate adverse effects of paracetamol and codeine combinations.
- Focus on moderate to severe postoperative pain.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of published double-blind, randomized trials.
- Searched Medline, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Oxford Pain Relief Database.
- Extracted data on pain relief and adverse effects; calculated NNT and NNH.
Main Results:
- Paracetamol 1000 mg and 600/650 mg showed significant pain relief compared to placebo (NNT 4.6 and 5.3).
- Paracetamol 600/650 mg plus codeine 60 mg improved pain relief (NNT 3.6) but increased drowsiness and dizziness.
- Combination therapy showed a Number-Needed-to-Harm (NNH) of 11 for drowsiness.
Conclusions:
- Paracetamol is an effective analgesic with a favorable safety profile.
- Adding codeine to paracetamol enhances pain relief for moderate to severe postoperative pain.
- Increased drowsiness and dizziness are potential side effects of the combination therapy.