Treatment of pain after spinal surgery in the recovery room by single dose lornoxicam: a randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled trial.
BACKGROUND
Lornoxicam has been used in microsurgical lumbar discectomy. However, there is no data about controlling pain after open discectomy or laminectomy.


OBJECTIVE
To compare the efficacy of a single dose of 16 mg of lornoxicam for the treatment of pain after disectomy or laminectomy with placebo in the PACU.


METHODS
Randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled trial.


METHODS
Fifty-six patients who underwent discectomy or laminectomy were randomly allocated to receive 16 mg lornoxicam (Group L), or placebo (Group P) at the beginning of wound closure. Pain scores at rest (using a verbal numeric rating scale: VNRS 0-10), time to first analgesia requirement, morphine consumption during the first 2 hr after surgery and adverse effects were all recorded. The outcomes were assessed on admission to the PACU (T0), then at 1 (T1) and 2 (T2) hr after surgery.


RESULTS
Baseline data were comparable between the two groups. The proportion of patients with VNRS > 5 at T0 in both groups were not significantly different (44.4% in group P vs 50.0% in group L, CI of difference: - 32.4%, 21.3%, p = 0.68). The mean VNRS scores, at T0 and T1 were > 5 and at T2 was < 5 in both groups. There was no difference between the two groups. The morphine consumption in both groups was not different (9.0 mg vs 9.3 mg) as well as the time to first analgesia requirement (35 min vs 40 min). Patients in the two groups had no significant difference in the symptoms or degree of nausea/vomiting. The number of patients with excessive sedation and the proportion of patients needing oxygen during transportation to the ward were not different.


CONCLUSIONS
Lornoxicam 16 mg given intravenously before wound closure provides inadequate pain relief immediately after disectomy or laminectomy in the PACU. However, adequate pain relief was demonstrated at 2 hr after surgery, which was similar to the placebo.
Thienthong
Somboon
S
Department of Anesthesiology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Thailand. somthi@kku.ac.th
Jirarattanaphochai
Kitti
K
Krisanaprakornkit
Wimonrat
W
Simajareuk
Suthannee
S
Tantanatewin
Wattana
W
Sathitkarnmanee
Aksorn
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017586:Diskectomy; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D006801:Humans; D007796:Laminectomy; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010894:Piroxicam / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D010894:Piroxicam; C059451:lornoxicam