The efficacy of etodolac for patients with pain following oral surgery.

The analgesic efficacy of etodolac for 161 patients reporting moderate to severe pain after oral surgery was evaluated. The patients were given single oral doses of one of the following test drugs--aspirin, 650 mg; etodolac, 50 mg; or etodolac, 200 mg--or placebo. There were at least 39 patients in each drug group. After medication, patients recorded pain intensity and pain relief at half-hour intervals for the first hour and then hourly for up to eight hours. Pain intensity differences, total pain relief, onset of analgesia, and each patient's overall opinion of the drug were analyzed. Time--effect curves were derived from the pain relief and pain intensity difference scores. Analgesic effects produced by both doses of etodolac were comparable with those of 650 mg of aspirin. All active drugs were significantly more effective than placebo, and the 200-mg dose of etodolac provided an earlier onset and longer duration of analgesia than the other test drugs.