A survey of the administration of prednisolone versus ibuprofen analgesic protocols after ambulatory tonsillectomy

IntroductionPostoperative pain, nausea and vomiting are frequent symptoms after tonsillectomy. There have been controversies concerning the advantages and drawbacks of different analgesics in this setting, especially non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, because of potential side effects. We have evaluated the effectiveness and safety of a shift from prednisolone to ibuprofen for postoperative analgesia after tonsillectomy.Patients and methodsData from 1231 children scheduled for tonsillectomy over a period of 30 months were analysed. During the first period, children received a combination of paracetamol–prednisolone with codeine as a rescue therapy; in the second period, they received paracetamol and ibuprofen, with tramadol as a rescue therapy. All children received IV dexamethasone at 0.1 mg/kg for antiemetic prophylaxis. The primary end-point was the incidence of severe pain defined as an Objective Pain Scale (OPS) score ≥ 6 at the seventh postoperative day (POD7). Other end-points were postoperative nausea or emesis (PONV), sleep disturbance, oral intake and postoperative haemorrhage and reoperation.ResultsSix hundred and seventy-two and 559 children were included in the prednisolone and ibuprofen groups respectively. OPS scores ≥ 6 were observed in 3.1% of cases (95% confidence interval, 2.3–4.2%) on POD7 for the entire study population. Ibuprofen reduced the incidence of OPS scores ≥ 6 on POD7 (relative risk 0.37, 95% CI: 0.18–0.78; P = 0.009), OPS scores in the ambulatory unit (P < 0.001) and POD1 (P < 0.001), nalbuphine requirements (RR 0.42, 95% CI, 0.34–0.5, P < 0.0001), and PONV (P = 0.01) compared with prednisolone. Ibuprofen enhanced sleep quality on POD0 (P < 0.0001) and POD7 (P = 0.02), and oral intake on POD1 (P < 0.0001). The incidence of bleeding requiring reoperation was comparable between the two groups (RR 0.8 [95% CI, 0.13–4.78], p = 0.8). Predictive factors for an OPS score ≥ 6 at POD7 were OPS score > 4 on the morning and the evening of POD1 (OR 1.24, 95% CI 1.02–1.49, P = 0.03 and OR 1.30, 95% CI 1.12–1.55, P = 0.008, respectively) and prednisolone use (OR 2.37, 95% CI 1.06–5.31, P = 0.04).ConclusionThe administration of ibuprofen compared to prednisolone improves postoperative comfort in children undergoing ambulatory tonsillectomy without increasing the incidence of side effects.