The study of anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of oral serratiopeptidasein postoperative patients in a tertiary care hospital

Abstract

Introduction: Oral proteolytic enzymes like serratiopeptidase are very commonly used by clinicians either alone or in combination with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for analgesia and anti-inflammatory and wound healing purpose in postoperative patients. Objective: To study the effect of serratiopeptidase and diclofenac in postoperative patients. Methods: Three groups (n= 20) of postoperative patients having clean surgical wound were treated with diclofenac 50 mg twice a day (BID) and serratiopeptidase 10mg three times a day (TID) + Diclofenac 50 mg BID for one week. The third group was not given any analgesic-anti-inflammatory drug. The pain and inflammation at the site of the wound were assessed by VAS and Asepsis score on 1st and 7th day. Results: No difference in analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects were found in both treatment groups (p> 0.05). Patients in the no-treatment group had relief of inflammation comparable to both treatment groups. Patients from no treatment group did not require analgesic for pain relief. Conclusion: Addition of serratiopeptidase did not potentiate the analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects of diclofenac. In clean surgical wounds, use of analgesic anti-inflammatory drugs should be as per need and not on regular basis.