Efficacy and safety of parecoxib sodium for acute postoperative pain: A meta-analysis

This meta-analysis was performed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of parecoxib sodium for acute postoperative pain. PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, EBSCO, Springer, Ovid and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) databases were searched from January 1999 to January 2013 to comprehensively collect randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of parecoxib sodium for acute postoperative pain. The methodological quality of the included RCTs were assessed and the data were extracted by two reviewers independently according to the Cochrane Handbook. Efficacies and safety (respiratory depression, pruritus, fever, headache, and nausea and vomiting) were pooled using meta-analysis performed by Review Manager 5.1 software. Relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated in a fixed-effects model. Seven RCTs involving 1,939 patients met the inclusion criteria. The results of the meta-analysis revealed that the rate of 'effective' treatment as described by the patients' global evaluation of study medication (PGESM) was higher in the patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) combined with parecoxib sodium group 24, 48, and 72 h after the initial intravenous dose of 40 mg parecoxib compared with that in the control group [PCA alone; RR=1.41, 95% CI (1.13-1.75); RR=1.25, 95% CI (1.15-1.35); and RR=1.30, 95% CI (1.21-1.40), respectively]. The rate of 'ineffective' treatment in the PCA combined with parecoxib sodium group was lower compared with that of the control group [RR=0.43, 95% CI (0.26-0.72); RR=0.44, 95% CI (0.34-0.57); and RR=0.33, 95% CI (0.23-0.48), respectively]. Combination of PCA with parecoxib sodium reduced the incidence of postoperative fever [RR=0.34, 95% CI (0.22-0.53)], as well as nausea and vomiting [RR=0.69, 95% CI (0.57-0.83)]; however, it did not significantly reduce respiratory depression [RR=0.84, 95% CI (0.38-1.83)], pruritus [RR=0.91, 95% CI (0.54-1.52)] or headache [RR=0.77, 95% CI (0.47-1.28)]. The combination of PCA with parecoxib sodium successively injected for <3 days significantly increases the scores of PGESM and reduces the incidence of adverse effects and postoperative complications.