Abstract

Two-hundred six outpatients with postoperative pain after the surgical removal of impacted third molars were randomly assigned on a double-blind basis to receive oral doses of ketorolac tromethamine 10 and 20 mg, ibuprofen 400 mg, acetaminophen 600 mg, a combination of acetaminophen 600 mg plus codeine 60 mg, or placebo. Using a self-rating record, subjects rated their pain and its relief hourly for 6 hours after medicating. All active medications were significantly superior to placebo. Analgesia was similar for ketorolac 10 and 20 mg and ibuprofen 400 mg; however, these treatments were superior to acetaminophen alone and the acetaminophen-codeine combination. The analgesic effect of each active medication was significant by hour 1 and persisted for 5-6 hours. The data suggest a plateau in ketorolac's analgesic efficacy at the 10-mg level. Repeat-dose data indicated that on the day of surgery ketorolac 10 and 20 mg and ibuprofen 400 mg were superior to acetaminophen 600 mg; ketorolac 20 mg was also superior to acetaminophen-codeine. Differences among active medications were not significant when data for the entire postoperative period (days 0-6) were evaluated. The frequency of adverse effects was similar for the active medications.