Effect of Intravenous Paracetamol on Opioid Consumption in Multimodal Analgesia After Lumbar Disc Surgery: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Abstract
Background: Intravenous paracetamol, as an adjunct to multimodal analgesia, has been shown to successfully reduce opioid consumption after joint arthroplasty, abdominal surgery, and caesarean delivery. However, there are limited data on the opioid-sparing effect of intravenous paracetamol on lumbar disc surgery. Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness and safety of intravenous paracetamol for reducing opioid consumption in lumbar disc surgery. The primary outcome was cumulative opioid consumption within 24 h postoperatively. Method: We followed the PRISMA-P guidelines and used GRADE to assess the quality of evidence. The review was registered in PROSPERO under the registration number CRD42021288168. Two reviewers conducted electronic searches in PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Scopus, and Web of Science (Clarivate Analytics). Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared the postoperative opioid consumption of intravenous paracetamol with placebo in lumbar discectomy were included. Results: Five trials comprising a total of 271 patients were included. The overall opioid consumption within 24 h postoperatively was reduced [mean difference (MD), −10.61 (95% CI, −16.00 to −5.22) mg, p = 0.0001, I2 = 90%] in patients with intravenous paracetamol. Intravenous paracetamol significantly reduced the postoperative pain scores at 1 h [MD, −2.37 (95%CI, −3.81 to −0.94), p = 0.001, I2 = 82%], 2 h [MD, −3.17…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a meta-analysis, done in people. Its evidence level is 1 of 5 (Highest · pooled evidence). Pooled evidence from several studies sits at the top of the evidence pyramid. Reported size: 271 participants or records.
Read the paper
Related studies
- Effect of dexamethasone as an analgesic adjuvant to multimodal pain treatment after total knee arthroplasty: randomised clinical trial
- Effect of a Postoperative Multimodal Opioid-Sparing Protocol vs Standard Opioid Prescribing on Postoperative Opioid Consumption After Knee or Shoulder Arthroscopy: A Randomized Clinical Trial
- Comparison of the Post-Caesarean Analgesic Effect of Adding Dexmedetomidine to Paracetamol and Ketorolac: A Randomized Clinical Trial
- A triple-blind randomized clinical trial of different associations between dexamethasone and non-steroids anti-inflammatories for preemptive action in third molar extractions
- An open label randomized clinical trial of Indomethacin for mild and moderate hospitalised Covid-19 patients
- Oral paracetamol and/or ibuprofen for treating pain after soft tissue injuries: Single centre double-blind, randomised controlled clinical trial
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.