RCT | Intermittent IV ibuprofen reduces morphine consumption and provides pain relief after surgery

Summary: The article describes a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of different doses of intravenous ibuprofen (IVIB) in treating acute postoperative pain. The trial involved patients who underwent abdominal or orthopedic surgery and were randomized to placebo, IVIB 400 mg, or IVIB 800 mg. The first dose was given intravenously 30 minutes before surgery ended, followed by IV administration every 6 hours for a total of 8 doses.

The study found that IV administration of ibuprofen 400 mg or 800 mg significantly reduced morphine consumption and relieved pain without increasing the incidence of adverse events.

The study’s strengths were its multicenter, randomized, controlled, and prospective design. However, the extensive list of exclusion criteria suggests that the study was made in a relatively healthy population, making it difficult to extrapolate the safety results for more fragile patients.

Article: Analgesic Efficacy of Intravenous Ibuprofen in the Treatment of Postoperative Acute Pain: A Phase III Multicenter Randomized Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind Clinical Trial – Pain Research and Management