Articles: analgesics.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Zomepirac, dihydrocodeine and placebo compared in postoperative pain after day-case surgery. The relationship between the effects of single and multiple doses.
Zomepirac 100 mg and dihydrocodeine 30 mg were compared with placebo in a controlled randomized, double-blind, single-dose postoperative study. Patients continued to receive either zomepirac or dihydrocodeine for pain relief for 5 days at home in a double-blind study, being allowed to titrate the consumption of tablets to their degree of pain. ⋯ In the multiple dosing phase, zomepirac was statistically better than dihydrocodeine. Non-parametric statistical tests indicated highly significant correlations between single- and multiple-dose analgesic measurements for both zomepirac and dihydrocodeine.
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Comparative Study Clinical Trial Controlled Clinical Trial
Analgesics for pain relief after gynaecological surgery. A two-phase study.
A two-phase, double-blind study was performed to assess the efficacy of various drugs in the relief of postoperative pain. Oral analgesia with two compounds (paracetamol 320 mg, caffeine 32 mg, codeine phosphate 8 mg and meprobamate 150 mg (Stopayne; Rio Ethicals) and dipyrone 500 mg, pitofenone hydrochloride 5 mg and fenpiverinium bromide 0,1 mg (Baralgan HS; Albert)) was found to produce satisfactory pain relief, and it is suggested that these oral compounds may be used from 12 hours postoperatively in uncomplicated cases. Parenteral administration of either pethidine 100 mg or dipyrone 2500 mg was found to be an ineffective form of pain relief, and it is suggested that the use of these drugs should be reviewed. In both phases of the study side-effects were infrequent and mild, and smoking did not have an influence on the results.
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The pathogenesis and clinical manifestations of herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralgia and the use of nontraditional analgesics in the management of postherpetic neuralgia are reviewed. Herpes zoster represents the reactivation in an immunocompromised host of dormant varicella-zoster virus (Herpesvirus varicellae) contracted during a previous episode of chickenpox. Fever, neuralgia, and paresthesia occur four to five days before skin lesions develop. ⋯ Positive results have been reported with levodopa, amantadine, and interferon, but the role of these agents in the prevention of postherpetic neuralgia remains unclear. Nontraditional analgesic agents are useful in the management of postherpetic neuralgia, but patients must be selected and monitored appropriately. A tricyclic antidepressant (especially amitriptyline) is a reasonable first choice.