Preoperative flurbiprofen in oral surgery: a method of choice in controlling postoperative pain

The analgesic efficacy of a single 50-mg preoperative dose of flurbiprofen was compared with ACC-30 (aspirin 375 mg, codeine 30 mg, caffeine 30 mg) and a placebo. Forty patients scheduled for the surgical removal of impacted maxillary third molars were enrolled in a double-blind, randomized study. Using a within-subject design we compared the analgesic efficacy of (1) preoperative flurbiprofen 50 mg with placebo in 20 patients, and (2) preoperative ACC-30 with placebo in 20 other patients. Using a between-group design, we then compared the analgesic efficacy of (3) each drug given preoperatively and postoperatively, and (4) each drug given postoperatively only. Patients rated 2 pain dimensions, intensity and unpleasantness, hourly for 8 hours after the presurgical dose. The results of this study indicate that better analgesia was obtained when flurbiprofen was given preoperatively compared to only after surgery. Conversely, preoperative administration of ACC-30 did not demonstrate any significant influence on postsurgical analgesia. When comparing the 2 drugs, flurbiprofen proved to be superior in providing pain relief only when it was given prior to surgery. There was no difference between them when given only after surgery. Side effects were moderate and not significantly different between patients receiving flurbiprofen and those receiving ACC-30.