Intravenous paracetamol versus dexketoprofen in acute musculoskeletal trauma in the emergency department: A randomised clinical trial

Musculoskeletal system traumas are among the most common presentations in the emergency departments. In the treatment of traumatic musculoskeletal pain, paracetamol and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory analgesics (NSAID) are frequently used. Our aim in this study is to compare the efficacy of intravenous dexketoprofen and paracetamol in the treatment of traumatic musculoskeletal pain. This prospective, randomised, double blind, controlled study was conducted in a tertiary care emergency unit. The participating patients were randomised into two groups to receive either 50 mg of dexketoprofen or 1000 mg of paracetamol intravenously by rapid infusion in 150 mL of normal saline. Visual analogue scale (VAS), Numeric Rating Scala (NRS) and Verbal Rating Scale (VRS) was employed for pain measurement at baseline, after 15, after 30 and after 60 mins. 200 patients were included in the final analysis. The median age of the paracetamol group was 34 (24–48), while that of the dexketoprofen group was 35 (23–50), and 63% (n = 126) of them consisted of men. Paracetamol and dexketoprofen administration reduced VAS pain scores over time (p = 0.0001). Median reduction in VAS score at 60 min was 55 (IQR 30–65) for the paracetamol group and 50(IQR 30.25–60) for the dexketoprofen group. There was no statistically significant difference between the paracetamol and dexketoprofen groups in terms of VAS reductions (p = 0.613). Intravenous paracetamol and dexketoprofen seem to produce equivalent pain relief for acute musculoskeletal trauma in the emergency department. CLINICALTRIALS.GOV NO: NCT03428503