Clinical Efficacy of Ibuprofen Arginine in the Management of Postoperative Pain Associated with Suction Termination of Pregnancy

This randomised parallel group double-blind placebo-controlled study was carried out to assess the analgesic efficacy of preoperatively-administered oral ibuprofen arginine 400mg in the management of postoperative pain after suction termination of pregnancy. 75 patients, aged between 16 and 45 years, were evaluated according to their own assessment of pain on a 100mm Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) with extremes at either end of ‘no pain’ (0mm) and ‘unbearable pain’ (100mm). Responses were recorded for each patient 30 minutes before surgery (baseline) when the trial medication was administered, and at specified time-points up to 4 hours after the procedure. The area under the mean VAS scores versus time curve (AUC) was 649 mm·min after ibuprofen arginine compared with 1961 mm·min for placebo (p < 0.02). Mean peak pain intensities for each group were 10mm for ibuprofen arginine and 26mm for placebo (p < 0.002). The mean sum of the VAS values obtained throughout the study period was significantly higher in the placebo group than in patients receiving active medication (78 vs 23mm. p < 0.002). No clinically significant adverse events were reported, with the exception of 3 episodes of vomiting, and no other analgesic medication was requested by any evaluable patient. Thus, ibuprofen arginine appears to be an effective analgesic when administered preoperatively for the relief of pain after termination of pregnancy by suction. Preoperatively administered analgesia may be considered for this type of procedure, but further work is needed to clarify the relative importance of timing of administration of analgesic medication on the management of postoperative pain.