Comparative Evaluation Of Intramuscular Ketoprofen And Diclofenac Sodium For Post-Operative Pain Relief

Objectives: The treatment of pain after surgery is central to the care of postoperative patients. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are devoid of side effects of opioids like respiratory depression, vomiting, cardiac depression etc. Ketoprofen, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, being in use since 1974, is not a much-studied drug. We decided to compare Ketoprofen and Diclofenac sodium for postoperative pain relief. We used the intramuscular route of administration for both the drugs, as postoperatively, this route is easier, safer and practically simple. Methods: 100 patients of ASA-I undergoing cesarean section under subarachnoid block were enrolled for the study. The patients were randomly divided into 2 groups of 50 patients each to receive either ketoprofen 100-mg or diclofenac sodium 75mg intramuscularly at the onset of bearable pain after surgery. The analgesic was assessed at regular intervals using visual analogue scale. The onset of action and total duration of action for the study drugs was calculated. Summing up the weightage points of pain score, onset of action and duration of action assessed the overall efficacy. Results: The change in the mean pulse rate was statistically significant in both groups. The change in the mean respiratory rate in both the groups before and after administration of study drugs was significantly reduced. The mean duration of action of ketoprofen was found to be significantly longer than diclofenac. Discussion: In all patients of the study groups the result ranged from Good to Excellent showing their comparable efficacy. Ketoprofen may be a better alternative to the more commonly used drug diclofenac for postoperative pain relief.