RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: The analgesic efficacy of intramuscular etofenamate (1 g/day) and intramuscular diclofenac (75 mg/day) was assessed in post-surgical pain relief during a period of 3 days. MATERIAL AND METHODS: One hundred ten hospitalized patients undergoing elective surgery were evaluated in an open-label, comparative, randomized, parallel-group, multicenter study. Fifty five patients received etofenamate and 55 patients diclofenac, 1 h before surgery. The doses were administered after 24 and 48 h. Baseline evaluations were carried out 30 min after anesthesia recovery and the clinical efficacy variables were assessed at 1, 6, 12, 24, 36, 48, 60 and 72 h. The efficacy variables were Pain Visual-Analogue Scale (VAS), Pain Analogous Verbal Scale (AVERS), and Well-Being Scale. Adverse events were documented. RESULTS: Patients in both groups showed similar values in post-surgical pain relief (VAS, AVERS). According to VAS, etofenamate at 24 h had a better analgesic action than diclofenac even though it was not statistically significant. Both drugs demonstrated to be safe. Patients in both groups reported nausea, vomiting, flatulence, and pain at injection site. CONCLUSIONS: We find that both etofenamate and diclofenac were safe, tolerable, and effective treatments for the relief of post-surgical pain.
