The Effects of Intravenous Acetaminophen on Pain and Clinical Findings of Patients with Acute Appendicitis; A Randomized Clinical Trial

Objective: To determine the effects of intravenous Acetaminophen (Apotel®) on pain severity and clinical findings of peritonitis in patients with acute appendicitis. Methods: This randomized cross-over clinical trial was carried out duringa 6-month period from August 2012 to February 2013 and comprised 107 patients diagnosed with acute appendicitis. Patients were randomly assigned to received placebo (n=) or Apotel® (n=). Patients were evaluated before, 30 minutes, 1 hour and 4 hours after administration of Apotel® or placebo,and were told to fill in two forms. The first form required patientsto measure their painintensityaccording to visual analogue scale (VAS). The second form was filled by a surgeon who examined the patients and recorded his or her findings using Alvarado score criteria for diagnosis of acute appendicitis at foregoing time points. Results: Of 72 patients, 37 (51.4%) were men and 35 (48.6%) were women. The mean age of the patients was 34.1±13.5 years. The mean pain score in 107 patients included in this study was 7.96±2.3. Those who received Apotel® had significantly lower pain scores when compared to placebo at 30 minutes (p < 0.001), 1 hour (p < 0.001) and 4 hours of administration. There was no significant difference between two study groups regarding the frequency of Alvarado score; however the frequency of fever was significantly lower in those who received Apotel® (p < 0.001). We found that Apotel® was not associated with resolved physical findings of acute appendicitis in different time intervals. Conclusion: Apotel® does not affect the clinical findings of acute appendicitis and dos not interfere with the accurate diagnosis. Therefore, it could safely be used as a reliable pain relieving agent, in patients with acute appendicitis.