COMPARATIVE ASSESSMENT OF FENOPROFEN AND PARACETAMOL GIVEN IN COMBINATION FOR PAIN AFTER SURGERY

In a double-blind study of patients suffering from pain after surgery, fenoprofen 200 mg and paracetamol 500 mg was compared with each drug given separately and with a placebo. There was a significant difference between the combination and the placebo, whereas, separately, the drugs were only marginally better than the placebo in relieving pain. There was a significant linear trend indicating a better clinical result as the number of active components in the regimen was increased. Fenoprofen (DL-2-(3-phenoxyphenyl)propionic acid) is a non-steroid chemical which has analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antipyretic properties in animals (Nickander, Kraay and Marshall, 1971). The pro-pionic acid derivatives are claimed to have an analgesic potency comparable to that of aspirin and they are regarded now as the first choice in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (Huskisson et al., 1976). Two recent investigations have shown that the analgesic activity of fenoprofen is equal to that o