Caldolor may prolong time to first narcotic use in orthopedic trauma patients
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Use of IV ibuprofen was successful in managing pain and prolonging time to first narcotic administration in orthopedic trauma patients, according to published results.
Russell D. Weisz, MD, and colleagues at Delray Medical Center in Delray Beach, Florida evaluated the efficacy of Caldolor (Cumberland Pharmaceuticals) for postoperative pain relief in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial.
Weisz and colleagues analyzed 99 consecutive orthopedic trauma patients, randomly assigning 53 patients to receive 800 mg IV ibuprofen and 44 patients to receive a placebo.
According to the study, treatments were administered as eight doses every 6 hours within 48 hours of admission. To record pain reduction efficacy, the researchers established a baseline pain intensity score from 74 patients (n=39, Caldolor; n=35, placebo) from a modified intent-to-treat group. They also recorded opioid consumption adjusted to morphine equivalent dose and time to first narcotic administration.
Weisz and colleagues found Caldolor significantly reduced opioid consumption compared to placebo. In addition, results showed the mean time to first narcotic use was 6.4 hours in the Caldolor group and 4.3 hours in the placebo group.
“A placebo patient who has not yet taken a rescue medication is 1.6 times more likely to need a rescue medication than a patient receiving Caldolor,” the researchers wrote. “The results of our prospective study demonstrate that Caldolor signicantly reduces the amount of opioids that are required to manage pain after a traumatic injury with fractures,” they wrote.
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