Use of Intravenous Acetaminophen in the Treatment of Postoperative Pain

Pain management is a crucial component in the care of the postoperative patient. Although there have been innovative advances in pain management and new analgesic modalities, a need still exists for safer and more tolerable analgesics for the management of pain in the postoperative setting. An intravenous formulation of acetaminophen has been available in Europe for more than 20 years and may soon be reaching the US market. Intravenous acetaminophen may help reduce the consumption of opioid analgesics and has a safety and tolerability profile comparable to placebo. This review will discuss the novel characteristics of intravenous acetaminophen that may make it an attractive choice for the management of acute pain in the postoperative period.