COMPARATIVE EFFICACY AND SAFETY OF ROFECOXIB VERSUS DICLOFENAC IN PERIOPERATIVE PAIN MANAGEMENT FOR GYNECOLOGICAL SURGERIES
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.48047/j9d2v158Keywords:
Rofecoxib, Diclofenac, Perioperative Pain Management, Gynecological Surgeries, Platelet AggregationAbstract
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are the most widely used drugs in pain management though they have negative effects that reduce their application in the perioperative period, of which non-selective cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitors are the worst offenders. The selective COX-2 inhibitors, such as rofecoxib are regarded as safer medications, as they have little effect on the activity of platelets and produce less gastrointestinal disorders. The purpose of the study was to compare the problematic of a single 50 mg dose of rofecoxib against rofecoxib and three doses of 50 mg each of diclofenac on the effects of the drugs on the platelet functions, blood loss as well as pain control during the gynecological operations. An active-comparator clinical trial (random/double-blind/double-dummy) was performed on 75 patients who received vaginal hysterectomy or breast operation. The trial evaluated platelet aggregation, blood loss during the procedure, and hemoglobin changes postoperatively and the requirement of extra pain killers or anti-vomiting drugs. Conclusions were that rofecoxib considerably decreased platelet aggregations (P = 0.02), intraoperative blood shed (P = 0.01) and hemoglobin shedding (P = 0.01) as compared to diclofenac. Also, rofecoxib controlled pain in a similar proportion to that of three doses of Diclofenac and hence fewer anti-emety drugs were needed (P = 0.03). These results indicate that rofecoxib is superior in its hemostatic effect, lowers oxidative stress, it has a better side-effect profile than diclofenac. Briefly, despite the comparable results in terms of analgesic effect, the potential benefit of rofecoxib to limit bleeding, postoperative complications and a minimal number of gastrointestinal adverse effects renders it to be a viable alternative to non-selective NSAIDs in perioperative pain management. Nevertheless, subsequent investigations are required to assess the positive correlation between the long term cardiovascular safety of COX-2 inhibitors and their extensive application in the high-risk surgical patients.
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