The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 268 No 7203 p861-867
22 June 2002

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European League Against Rheumatism (www.eular.org)

COX-2 inhibitor safe before surgery

The cyclo-oxygenase (COX) 2 inhibitor rofecoxib (Vioxx) is a safe and effective alternative to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for pre-empting post-surgery pain, according to data presented at last week's European League Against Rheumatism meeting in Stockholm.

Patients taking NSAIDs normally stop them a few days before surgery because of the substantial increase in risk of bleeding. However, in a trial, 20 patients undergoing knee surgery were randomised to receive 50mg rofecoxib one hour before surgery and pain scores were compared with those for 20 patients receiving the dose an hour after surgery and with those for a placebo group.

After surgery, 35 per cent of those taking rofecoxib needed no rescue analgesia, compared with 10 per cent of those given the drug post-surgery and none of those in the placebo group.

The study was carried out by the acute pain service at Baystoke Medical Centre, Springfield, Massachusetts.