To evaluate efficacy and safety of diclofenac transdermal patch with intramuscular diclofenac injection as preemptive analgesia in post operative patients undergoing inguinal hernioplasty

Context: To evaluate efficacy and safety of diclofenac transdermal patch with intramuscular diclofenac injection as preemptive analgesia in post operative patients undergoing inguinal hernioplasty. Aims: We aim to compare the duration and quality of analgesia provided by diclofenac trans dermal patch and intramuscular injection and to estimate time at which patients demand rescue analgesia after surgery. Settings Design: This randomized comparative study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital in central India. Materials and Methods: 60 healthy patients divided into two groups of 30 each, scheduled for elective inguinal hernioplasty under subarachnoid block were taken. Sample size calculation was based on the difference of means of two independent samples. A transdermal diclofenac patch containing 100 mg of diclofenac diethylamine was applied to the participants in the study group just before the induction of anesthesia. In the control group, 75 mg of diclofenac sodium Inj. was given intramuscularly half-an-hour before the end of surgery. Data for postoperative pain was assessed at 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, 16 and 24 hours by using a visual analogue scale (VAS) score and verbal rating scale (VRS) score and analysed using upaired t test. Results: Statistical difference in duration, quality of pre-emptive analgesia and Significant time of rescue analgesia was found between the two groups in terms of postoperative pain in patients undergoing inguinal hernioplasty. Conclusion: Tran dermal diclofenac patch (100 mg) is a better analgesic route than intramuscular diclofenac sodium (75 mg) for pre-emptive analgesia in patients undergoing inguinal hernioplasty. Keywords: Transdermal Patch, Preemptive analgesia, Post operative pain, Visual analogue scale.