Implications for practice and research

• A single dose of intravenous paracetamol (acetaminophen) or intravenous propacetamol provides about 50% relief of pain over 4 hours for about 36% of patients with acute postoperative pain with few adverse events.

• Few studies included children; therefore, results have limited generalisability to the paediatric patient.

• Future research should focus on the role of intravenous formulations of paracetamol on the prevention and treatment of specific types of pain. Outcomes should include effects on opioid consumption, pain intensity and relief in adults and particularly in children.

• Clinically meaningful end points such as resuming physical activity and diet and risk reduction for pulmonary complications and chronic pain should be considered in future studies.1

Context

Despite progress in uncovering the complex mechanisms responsible for acute …