An oral buprenorphine and paracetamol combination compared with paracetamol alone: a single dose double‐blind postoperative study.

Abstract

1 An oral combination of buprenorphine and paracetamol was compared with paracetamol alone in a single dose, double‐blind postoperative study. One hundred and twenty patients undergoing elective minor orthopaedic operations were allocated to four groups of 30 patients. The four treatments were 1,1.5 or 2 mg of buprenorphine with paracetamol 1,000 mg or paracetamol 1,000 mg alone. 2 There were no significant differences between the groups in analgesia measured by the observer over the 6 h period of direct observations. The oral opiate produced a significant increase in duration of analgesia beyond the 6 h study period. A significant increase in side‐effects was seen only at the highest buprenorphine dose compared with paracetamol. 3 The problems of trial design for analgesic combinations are considered. Drug mixtures create additional complexities which decrease the certainty of the conclusion that no real benefits result from such mixtures. 1981 The British Pharmacological Society