Summary of findings 5. Proportion of participants receiving additional analgesic medication.
| IV paracetamol/propacetamol compared to placebo or other analgesics for postoperative pain | |||||
| Patient or population: patients with postoperative pain Settings: hospital Intervention: IV paracetamol/propacetamol Comparison: placebo or other analgesics | |||||
| Outcomes | Illustrative comparative risks* (95% CI) | Relative effect (95% CI) | No of participants (studies) | Quality of the evidence (GRADE) | |
| Assumed risk | Corresponding risk | ||||
| Placebo or other analgesics | IV paracetamol/propacetamol | ||||
| Para/propacetamol vs placebo | 820 per 1000 | 574 per 1000 (525 to 631) | RR 0.7 (0.64 to 0.77) | 859 (9 studies) | ⊕⊕⊝⊝ low1,2 |
| Paracetamol vs placebo | 892 per 1000 | 669 per 1000 (616 to 732) | RR 0.75 (0.69 to 0.82) | 655 (6 studies) | ⊕⊕⊝⊝ low1,2 |
| Propacetamol vs placebo | 625 per 1000 | 306 per 1000 (219 to 431) | RR 0.49 (0.35 to 0.69) | 204 (3 studies) | ⊕⊕⊝⊝ low1,2,3,4,5 |
| Para/propacetamol vs NSAIDs | 284 per 1000 | 338 per 1000 (247 to 463) | RR 1.19 (0.87 to 1.63) | 309 (5 studies) | ⊕⊝⊝⊝ very low1,3,4,6,7 |
| Paracetamol vs NSAIDs | 200 per 1000 | 216 per 1000 (118 to 396) | RR 1.08 (0.59 to 1.98) | 120 (2 studies) | ⊕⊝⊝⊝ very low1,3,4,6,7 |
| Propacetamol vs NSAIDs | 337 per 1000 | 414 per 1000 (290 to 596) | RR 1.23 (0.86 to 1.77) | 189 (3 studies) | ⊕⊝⊝⊝ very low1,3,4,6,7 |
| Propacetamol vs opioids | 86 per 1000 | 157 per 1000 (62 to 398) | RR 1.83 (0.72 to 4.64) | 139 (2 studies) | ⊕⊝⊝⊝ very low1,3,4,7 |
| *The basis for the assumed risk (e.g. the median control group risk across studies) is provided in footnotes. The corresponding risk (and its 95% confidence interval) is based on the assumed risk in the comparison group and the relative effect of the intervention (and its 95% CI). CI: confidence interval; NSAIDs: nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs; RR: risk ratio | |||||
| GRADE Working Group grades of evidence High quality: Further research is very unlikely to change our confidence in the estimate of effect. Moderate quality: Further research is likely to have an important impact on our confidence in the estimate of effect and may change the estimate. Low quality: Further research is very likely to have an important impact on our confidence in the estimate of effect and is likely to change the estimate. Very low quality: We are very uncertain about the estimate. | |||||
1See 'Risk of bias' tables: several unclear assessments related to randomization and attrition bias; unclear to high risk for selective outcome reporting. 2Considerable unexplained heterogeneity exists between studies. 3Majority of all individual studies had < 100 total participants. 4Total # events < 300. 5Large effect. 6Different NSAIDs studied. 7Wide confidence interval that includes no effect and appreciable benefit and/or harm.