Table 2.

Pain scores and additional analgesic requirements.

Variable/ Time points	Control group (n = 45)	DEX group (n = 46)	P value
Pain score (resting/ activity)
at 1 h after surgery	3 (3–3)/ 3 (3–5)	3 (2–3)/ 3 (3–3)	0.339/ 0.016
at 24 h after surgery	2 (0–3)/ 4 (2–5)	2 (0–4)/ 3 (2–5)	0.888/ 0.629
at 48 h after surgery	2 (1–3)/ 3 (2–5)	2 (0–3)/ 3 (2–5)	0.493/ 0.553
Fentanyl administered via intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (μg)
0–24 h after surgery	462.8 (157.8)	402.2 (148.8)	0.064
24–48 h after surgery	296.6 (188.7)	303.9 (202.2)	0.860
Additional opioid analgesics requirement (morphine equivalent dose, mg)
0–1 h after surgery	4.0 (3.2–5.0) (13)*	4.0 (3.0–4.0) (7)*	0.304 (0.102)
1–24 h after surgery	8.3 (5.0–10.8) (13)*	3.3 (3.3–5.4) (18)*	0.031 (0.303)
24–48 h after surgery	5.0 (3.3–10.0) (12)*	5.0 (5.0–8.3) (20)*	0.744 (0.093)

Values are median (interquartile range), mean (standard deviation), or number. Pain score, a numerical pain intensity scale (0 = no pain, 10 = the worst pain); ^*, number of patients receiving additional opioids.