Comparison of the analgesic efficacy of fluproquazone, pentazocine and placebo against postoperative pain in neurosurgical patients. short communication.

A controlled, double-blind study was performed to compare the new analgesic 4-(p-fluorophenyl)-1-isopropyl-7-methyl-2(1H)-quinazolinone (fluproquazone) (in the form of 100 mg and 200 mg capsules) with pentazocine 50 mg and placebo in 138 patients with post-neurosurgical pain. The efficacy of the compounds was tested on the basis of response to the initial administration of the stated doses and to repeated doses, the number of which depended on the individual needs of standardized interviews and the von Zerssen subjective rating, questionnaire, which provides information on the patients' mental and emotional status. Fluproquazone 200 mg and pentazocine 50 mg were equally effective. The effect of fluproquazone 100 mg was somewhat less marked but, nevertheless, significantly different from that of placebo. The importance of developing potent analgesics free of addiction potential as an alternative to the agents which act on the CNS is discussed.