Etoricoxib for pain management during thyroid surgery--a prospective, placebo-controlled study.

To assess the efficacy of etoricoxib in pain treatment during thyroid surgery.Double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial.A secondary-level central hospital in Finland.Sixty-nine consecutive patients (59 women) aged 18 to 70 years who underwent thyroid surgery.Patients were randomized to receive etoricoxib 120 mg (n = 34) or placebo (n = 35) by mouth 60 minutes before surgery. After surgery oxycodone 2 mg administered intravenously was provided for rescue analgesia.Oxycodone consumption during the first 6 (primary) and the 7 to 24 hours (secondary) after surgery.During the first 6 hours, all patients in the placebo group and 31 of 34 patients in the etoricoxib group were given oxycodone for rescue analgesia (P = 0.072). In the 7 to 24 postsurgical hours, 25 of 35 patients in the placebo group versus 16 of 34 patients in the etoricoxib group needed rescue analgesics (mean difference 24%, 95% CI -1 to 47%, P = 0.039).Etoricoxib 120 mg reduced pain in the 7 to 24 postsurgical time period but did not have opioid-sparing effect during the first 6 hours after surgery.