Oral acetaminophen (paracetamol) for additional analgesia in phacoemulsification cataract surgery performed using topical anesthesia Randomized double-masked placebo-controlled trial.

Abstract

PURPOSE:

To evaluate the clinical analgesic efficacy of 1.0 g oral acetaminophen (paracetamol) given in addition to topical anesthesia before phacoemulsification cataract surgery.

SETTING:

Inpatient and outpatient ophthalmology clinics, Bydgoszcz, Poland.

METHODS:

Consecutive patients with age-related cataract having phacoemulsification under topical anesthesia (tetracaine 0.5%) were enrolled in a prospective double-blind randomized placebo-controlled study. Patients were randomly assigned to preoperative oral administration of a placebo medication or to oral administration of 1.0 g acetaminophen. The main outcome measure was intensity of pain during and after surgery. Pain intensity was measured using a 10 cm baseline visual analog scale and a discrete 5-category verbal rating scale.

RESULTS:

The study comprised 160 consecutive patients (80 in each group). Intraoperatively, the mean visual analog scale pain intensity score was 2.17 +/- 1.81 in the placebo group and 1.45 +/- 1.17 in the acetaminophen group and the mean verbal rating scale score, 1.11 +/- 0.73 and 0.67 +/- 0.66, respectively (P<.01). Postoperatively, the mean visual analog scale score for pain was 1.47 +/- 1.39 in the placebo group and 0.56 +/- 0.61 in the acetaminophen group and the mean verbal rating scale score, 0.94 +/- 0.79 and 0.28 +/- 0.41, respectively (P<.01). There was no significant difference in patient behavior during surgery and no significant adverse effects of acetaminophen use.

CONCLUSION:

Preoperative oral administration of acetaminophen 1.0 g was effective, convenient, safe, and cost effective in reducing intraoperative and postoperative pain in phacoemulsification performed using topical anesthesia.

• Authors: Bartlomiej J Kaluzny, Karolina Kazmierczak, Adriana Laudencka, Iwona Eliks, Jakub J Kaluzny
• Journal: Journal of cataract and refractive surgery (J Cataract Refract Surg) Vol. 36 Issue 3 Pg. 402-6 (Mar 2010) ISSN: 1873-4502 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 20202536 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Randomized Controlled Trial)
• Copyright: Copyright 2010 ASCRS and ESCRS. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Analgesics, Non-Narcotic
• Anesthetics, Local
• Tetracaine
• Acetaminophen

Topics

• Acetaminophen (administration & dosage, economics)
• Administration, Oral
• Aged
• Analgesia (methods)
• Analgesics, Non-Narcotic (administration & dosage, economics)
• Anesthesia, Local
• Anesthetics, Local (administration & dosage)
• Double-Blind Method
• Drug Costs
• Female
• Humans
• Intraoperative Complications (prevention & control)
• Lens Implantation, Intraocular
• Male
• Pain Measurement
• Pain, Postoperative (drug therapy)
• Phacoemulsification
• Tetracaine (administration & dosage)
• Visual Acuity