Effect of Diclofenac alone vs. Diclofenac + Paracetamol on renal colic

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Created On: 02/02/2023

This study sought to explore the efficacy of Paracetamol plus Diclofenac vs diclofenac alone to treat renal colic in patients attending the emergency department.

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Key take away

Both Diclofenac alone and Diclofenac + Paracetamol are effective to relieve renal colic.

Background

This study sought to explore the efficacy of Paracetamol plus Diclofenac vs diclofenac alone to treat renal colic in patients attending the emergency department.

Method

Overall, 160 people with a definite diagnosis of renal colic with documented renal stone took part in this double-blinded single center randomized clinical trial. All asthmatic patients or peptic ulcer or duodenal ulcer and hypertensive people were eliminated. Volunteers were blindly and randomly segregated into two equal groups.

The first group was given intravenous Paracetamol (1g/100 ml) + intramuscular Diclofenac (75 mg/3 ml). The second group was given intramuscular Diclofenac (75 mg/ml) alone, the intensity of pain was estimated following 10, 30, 60, 120 minutes post-administration of medication by numerical rating scale (NRS).

Result

In terms of age and gender, the two groups were identical. The difference in the mean NRS between the two groups demonstrated no profound difference prior to treatment, after 10, 30, and 60 minutes, while there was a significant difference in the mean NRS after 120 minutes where the mean NRS was lower in Diclofenac + Paracetamol group vs Diclofenac only group, as shown in Table 1:

Failure to relieve renal colic after 120 minutes was noted among 6.25% of patients receiving Diclofenac only group and among 3.75% of patients receiving Diclofenac + Paracetamol.

Conclusion

The mean NRS was lower in Diclofenac + Paracetamol group vs Diclofenac only group after 120 minutes only. The percentage of failure to reduce pain was lower in Diclofenac + Paracetamol group.