Efficacy of Intravenous Acetaminophen after Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery

Author(s)

Leick, A. M., Ratliff, P. D., Shely, R. N., Lester, W. C., Short, M. R.

Author's Affiliation

Abstract

In recent years, a multimodal approach to post-operative pain control consisting of opioid and non-opioid agents administered simultaneously has been used to provide synergistic effects and reduce opioid-related adverse effects.  This is a retrospective, cohort study involving coronary artery bypass graft surgery patients who received scheduled intravenous IV acetaminophen 1gm every 6 hours for 4 doses starting at surgery end time with opioids administered as needed versus opioids as monotherapy for postoperative pain control. The primary endpoint assessed was total morphine equivalents administered post-operatively in each group with a secondary focus on degree of pain control, total length of stay, ICU length of stay, and time to first bowel movement. The study concludes that the addition of IV acetaminophen to opioids for postoperative pain relief did not produce an opioid sparing effect and paradoxically led to an increase in opioid use.  Clinical outcomes including pain control, total length of stay, and ICU length of stay were unaffected by the addition of IV acetaminophen.

Keywords

Intravenous Acetaminophen, Post-Operative Pain, Adult, Ventilator Time, Length of Stay

Cite This Article

Leick, A. M., Ratliff, P. D., Shely, R. N., Lester, W. C., & Short, M. R. (2015). Efficacy of Intravenous Acetaminophen after Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery, International Journal for Pharmaceutical Research Scholars (IJPRS), 4(4), 183-187.