Treatment of postoperative pain with suprofen injected by the intramuscular route

The analgesic effect and the tolerability of alpha-methyl-4-(2-thienyl-carbonyl)phenylacetic acid (suprofen, Suprol) 200 mg/ml were compared with lysine acetylsalicylate 0.9 g/2.5 ml; the study included 60 subjects in severe to very severe pain following orthopedic surgery. The trial was performed in randomized single-blind fashion in patients who had given informed consent. The substances were injected into the upper out quadrant; maximally 4 intramuscular injections were given within 2 days. The test population was homogeneous with respect to the anamnestic data. The intensity of pain prior to treatment was comparable in both groups. Statistical analysis of the data revealed that suprofen was at the rating times (15 min to 4 h) significantly superior to the control groups. The investigator's and the patients' final appreciation indicated good to very good effect in 93% of the subjects on suprofen, and in 40 and 47%, respectively, of the patients in the control group. Here, too, suprofen was significantly superior to the reference Substance. Systemic and local tolerability of both drugs was very good. Adverse drug experience (heartburn) occurred in only 1 patient in the control group.