Randomized Trial of Intraoperative IV Versus Preoperative Oral Acetaminophen During Ambulatory Lumbar Discectomy

Summary

Effective non-opioid analgesics are of particular interest in ambulatory surgery, as providers may be able to reduce pain while avoiding perioperative opioids that can delay same day discharge. The value of maintaining an efficient flow of patients from the perioperative area to discharge is an important metric for same day surgery centers, and an improvement in efficiency with IV acetaminophen could potentially offset the increased cost of the medication while providing a more pleasant surgical experience for patients. The goal of this study is to compare the efficacy of intraoperative IV administration vs. preoperative oral administration of acetaminophen on postoperative opioid utilization, patient-reported pain scores, opioid-related adverse effects, and time to recovery and discharge from the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) after ambulatory lumbar discectomy.

Timeline

Start

2021-03-18

Primary completion

2024-10-31

Completion

2024-10-31

Publications

• Schwenk ES, Ferd P, Torjman MC, Li CJ, Charlton AR, Yan VZ, McCurdy MA, Kepler CK, Schroeder GD, Fleischman AN, Issa T. Intravenous versus oral acetaminophen for pain and quality of recovery after ambulatory spine surgery: a randomized controlled trial. Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2025 Jun 10;50(6):483-488. doi: 10.1136/rapm-2024-105386.

Drugs

Indications

No indication recorded.