A CONTROLLED COMPARATIVE-EVALUATION OF ACETAMINIPHEN AND ASPIRIN IN THE TREATMENT OF POSTOPERATIVE PAIN

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  • 1 January 1984
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 7  (1) , 89-97
Abstract
The analgesic effects of acetaminophen (1 g), aspirin (650 mg) and placebo were evaluated in a double-blind, randomized parallel study. The subjects were 162 outpatients who had experienced moderate or severe pain as a result of dental surgery involving bone removal. Patients evaluated the intensity of their pain and the extent of their relief from pain at 30 min, at 1 h and at each subsequent hour for 6 h after the administration of the study medication. During the 6-h period, 135 of the 162 patients were remedicated. At the end of the 6-h period each patient assessed overall treatment. Two measures of analgesia were derived from patients'' evaluations of the intensity of pain, and 2 other measures were derived from evaluations of relief from pain. On all 6 measures used, the groups receiving acetaminophen and aspirin reported analgesic effects significantly superior (P < 0.05) to those of placebo. Acetaminophen was significantly better than aspirin with respect to the maximum difference in the intensity of pain (P < 0.05) and the maximum pain relief achieved (P < 0.03) and according to the global evaluation (P < 0.02). These differences were most striking in patients with severe initial pain.