ASSESSMENT OF PREEMPTIVE ANALGESIC EFFECT OF CALDOLOR VS OFIRMEV ON THIRD MOLAR SURGERY: A PROSPECTIVE, RANDOMIZED, DOUBLE-BLINDED PILOT STUDY

The surgical removal of impacted third molars is a common surgical procedure performed by oral surgeons. Postoperative pain is a common sequale of surgical extraction of impacted third molars. Postoperative pain is a multifactorial experience involving ongoing sensory signals generated from damaged tissue and a modified central nervous system. Preemptive analgesia is defined as a treatment that is initiated before surgery in order to prevent the establishment of central sensitization evoked by the incisional and inflammatory injuries occurring during surgery and in the early postoperative period. The overall objective of this study was to demonstrate the efficacy of Caldolor® (IV Ibuprofen) when compared to Ofirmev® (IV Tylenol) in producing effective preemptive analgesia. The hypothesis is that a NSAID like Caldolor is more effective than Ofirmev in reducing post-operative pain. The study drug Caldolor® was approved by the FDA in 2009 and the peak plasma concentration is 6.5 minutes. The comparator Ofirmev® was approved by FDA in 2010. The peak plasma concentration is immediately after 15 minutes infusion.