The efficacy of paracetamol versus tenoxicam on postoperative pain and morphine consumption after abdominal hysterectomy: a placebo-controlled, randomized study.

The purpose of this study was to determine the analgesic efficacy and side-effects of paracetamol and tenoxicam in comparison with placebo in patients with postoperative pain after elective abdominal hysterectomy. A total of 120 patients were randomly divided into three groups to receive either paracetamol 1 g, tenoxicam 20 mg or placebo intravenously at the end of surgery, and then morphine was administered by a patient-controlled analgesia device postoperatively. Tenoxicam was associated with lower pain scores at the 2nd, 4th, 6th and 24th hour postoperatively. Total morphine consumption was 44.8 +/- 17.4 mg, 64.6 +/- 19.6 mg, 69.2 +/- 22.1 (tenoxicam, paracetamol and placebo group, respectively) and there was a significant difference in the tenoxicam group compared with the other two groups (p < 0.05). Side-effects except for nausea were similar. A single dose of 20 mg tenoxicam provided effective analgesia and reduced total morphine consumption in comparison with paracetamol and placebo after abdominal hysterectomy.