RESEARCH - NSAIDs significantly decrease pain scores after hip, knee arthroplasty

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Medscape Medical News from:

Hospital Medicine 2010: Society of Hospital Medicine (SHM) Annual Meeting

From Medscape Medical News

NSAIDs Significantly Decrease Pain Scores After Hip, Knee Arthroplasty

Terry Hartnett

April 12, 2010 (Washington, DC) — Hip and knee replacement surgery is

becoming increasingly successful in alleviating pain and immobility.

But postoperative pain continues to be undertreated despite the

existence of pain management guidelines, and the fear of pain leads

some patients to forego the surgery, Baker, MD, from Ohio State

University Medical Center in Columbus, reported at the Hospital

Medicine 2010: Society of Hospital Medicine (SHM) Annual Meeting.

Dr. Baker was the lead investigator of a retrospective chart review

study of pain scores and medications administered to 34 patients

undergoing total hip anthroplasty and 66 patients undergoing total

knee anthroplasty. Dr. Baker presented her findings here at a poster

session.

The key objective of the study was to determine if the treatment

followed American Pain Society (APS) guidelines, which include the

administration of 200 mg of celecoxib (Celebrex) twice daily after

surgery, along with acetaminophen and scheduled narcotics. Pain scores

were significantly lower for patients receiving celecoxib. The need

for self-administered narcotics was also significantly lower with

regular administration of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug

(NSAID).

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Read the full article here:

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/720114

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