Analgesic Efficacy and Safety of Etoricoxib in Ear Nose Throat Surgery

On day of surgery (day 0) the patients will be randomly assigned to one of the three groups using a sealed envelope method. The etoricoxib 90 mg group receives etoricoxib (Arcoxia®, Merck Sharp & Dohme GmbH, Haar, Germany) 90 mg orally, the etoricoxib 120 mg group receives etoricoxib 120 mg orally and the control group receives a placebo tablet orally 1 h before surgery (day 0). All patients receive a standard general anesthesia with intravenous propofol (2-3 mg/kg), fentanyl (2 µg/kg) and mivacurium (0.2 mg/kg) for induction. Patients are ventilated via a tracheal tube, anesthesia being maintained with sevoflurane (0.8 - 1.5% end-tidal concentration). If mean arterial blood pressure or heart rate increase to more than 25% above the pre-operative baseline value despite an end-tidal concentration of 1.5% sevoflurane, an intravenous bolus of fentanyl 0.05 mg will be administered. Monitoring includes electrocardiogram (ECG), non-invasive arterial blood pressure, pulse oximetry, end-tidal CO2 and end-tidal sevoflurane. On days 1 to 3 patients will receive etoricoxib (90 mg or 120 mg qd.) or placebo. After discharge on day 3, patients will receive etoricoxib (90 mg or 120 mg qd.) or placebo until cessation of pain during activity (swallowing). According to the current label for Arcoxia® 120 mg in Germany, patients taking etoricoxib 120 mg will switch to etoricoxib 90 mg on day 8. Rescue medication will be piritramid i.v. (day 0), oxycodone p.o. (day 1-2) and paracetamol p.o. (day 3-14).

Day -7 to -1: Inclusion/exclusion criteria, medical history, concomitant medications, laboratory, serum pregnancy test, informed consent Day 0: Study medication 1 h before surgery, intra-operative blood loss, pain score, opioid utilization, PONV score and anti-emetic medication Day 1: pain score, opioid utilization, PONV score, anti-emetic medication, bleeding Day 2: pain score, opioid utilization, PONV score, anti-emetic medication, bleeding Day 3: pain score, opioid utilization, PONV score, anti-emetic medication, bleeding Day 7: pain score, paracetamol utilization, bleeding Day 14: first day with no pain, last study medication, paracetamol utilization, bleeding