Colbert 1998.

Study characteristics
Methods	Study design: parallel‐group randomized controlled trial Sample size: 77 Country: Ireland Setting: secondary care Dates conducted: July 1996 to December 1996 Postoperative opioid used and delivery: IM pethidine Pain score collection: blinded investigator Concurrent postoperative analgesics: diclofenac or paracetamol
Participants	Inclusion criteria ASA 1 or 2 Breast biopsy Exclusion criteria Contraindications to NSAID use Fine wire localised breast biopsy
Interventions	Group A (37 participants): 20 mg IV tenoxicam 30 minutes before surgery Group B (40 participants): 20 mg IV tenoxicam post‐incision
Outcomes	Postoperative pain (0‐100 mm VAS at 30, 60, 120 and 240 minutes after surgery) Time to analgesic request (minutes) Analgesic consumption (paracetamol, diclofenac and pethidine in the first 4 hours postoperatively)
Notes	Funding: not reported Declarations of interest: not reported Authors contacted: no Other: analgesic consumption not included as at 4 hours. Included as a pre‐emptive intervention as not all participants received diclofenac postoperatively
Risk of bias
Bias	Authors' judgement	Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias)	Low risk	Table of random numbers. Quote: "table of random numbers"
Allocation concealment (selection bias)	Unclear risk	No mention
Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias) All outcomes	High risk	No double‐dummy placebo. Quote: "The patients in group A received 20 mg tenoxicam IV 30 mins pre‐operatively and patients in group B received 20 mg tenoxicam IV post‐incision".
Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) All outcomes	Low risk	Blinded. Quote: "outcomes were assessed by an investigator without knowledge of the timing of tenoxicam administration".
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) All outcomes	Low risk	All participants analysed. Quote: "There were 37 patients in group A (20 mg tenoxicam and 30 min before surgery) and 40 patients in group B (20 mg tenoxicam post‐incision)".
Selective reporting (reporting bias)	Unclear risk	No protocol or trial registration
Other bias	Low risk	Similar baseline characteristics. Quote: "There were no differences between the groups with respect to age, duration of surgery, length of the wound or the weight of the patient".