Intravenous paracetamol is as effective as morphine in knee arthroscopic day surgery procedures

ABSTRACT

To conduct a prospective randomized study comparing the analgesic effect of Intravenous Paracetamol with Intravenous Morphine in postoperative pain control of patients undergoing knee arthroscopic surgery as day cases. Eighty four patients were randomised into two groups on the basis of the last digit of their medical number. Odd numbers were given Paracetamol [Group-I] and even Morphine [Group-II]. All patients underwent Examination under Anaesthesia [E.U.A] and knee arthroscopy +/- a partial menisectomy as day cases and had to stay of a minimum of 4 hours post surgery. A standardize General Anaesthesia was given to both groups. An intra-articular injection of 20mls of 0.5% Marcaine was given to all patients. Postoperative pain was assessed up to 4 hours using the Verbal Rating Scale [V.R.S.]. The adverse effects of the drugs were also observed. Of 84 patients, 76 were males and 8 females. The age range was from 18 to 69 years, weighing from 55 to 90kg. Paracetamol [Group-I] had 43 patients and there were 41 patients in the Morphine [Group-II] Group. The results according to VRS, from 0 to 4 hours showed no difference in the analgesic effect of the two groups, but much less adverse effect were noted in Group-I. In our study both intravenous Paracetamol and Intravenous Morphine seems to have the same analgesic effect. However, side effects with Intravenous Paracetamol were much less