Intravenous dexketoprofen versus paracetamol in non-traumatic musculoskeletal pain in the emergency department: A randomized clinical trial
Abstract
INTRODUCTION
Although acute musculoskeletal pain has a wide range of causes from tendinitis, muscle spasm, to bone and joint injuries, it is a frequent occurrence in emergency services. Paracetamol and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory analgesics (NSAID) are common used in the treatment of musculoskeletal pain. This study sets out to compare the effectiveness of intravenous dexketoprofen and paracetamol in musculoskeletal pain relief.
METHODS
This prospective, randomized, double blind, controlled study was carried out in a university emergency room. The participating patients were randomized into two groups to receive either 50 mg of dexketoprofen or 1000 mg of paracetamol intravenously by rapid infusion in 150 ml of normal saline. Visual analogue scale (VAS), Numeric Rating Scala (NRS) was employed for pain measurement at baseline, after 15, after 30 and after 60 mins.
RESULTS
200 patients were included in the study, excluding 7342 of them. The mean age of the patients was calculated as 32,6. Paracetamol and dexketoprofen intervention decreases NRS pain scores over time. When compared to all pain locations, the NRS pain score of the patients was found to be statistically more effective in dexketoprofen than in paracetamol (p = 0.001). Paracetamol and dexketoprofen intervention reduces pain VAS scores over time. When the VAS pain score of the patients was compared to all pain locations, dexketoprofen was found to be statistically more effective than paracetamol (p = 0.001).…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a randomized trial, done in people. Its evidence level is 2 of 5 (High · randomized trial). Randomized trials of a reasonable size are the strongest single-study design. Reported size: 200 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.