Objective: Post-tonsillectomy pain is a common morbidity in children. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of celecoxib with acetaminophen on pain relief in pediatric day-case tonsillectomy.
Methods: We compared the analgesic effect of celecoxib (99 patients) with acetaminophen (100 patients) for the management of post-tonsillectomy pain. Post-tonsillectomy pain score was evaluated three times a day for 7 days. In addition, the incidence of post-tonsillectomy bleeding and the rate of patients who returned to regular diet were evaluated.
Results: In the first day, we observed lower mean pain score in the celecoxib group, than the acetaminophen group (P = 0.013). The overall pain score in other days was not significantly different between the two groups. In the celecoxib group, more patients resumed regular amount of oral intake within the first 3 days. Also, the rate of post-tonsillectomy bleeding in the two groups was not statistically different.
Conclusion: We recommend celecoxib as a more suitable choice than acetaminophen for post-tonsillectomy pain management in the first day and resuming regular diet within 3 days.Level of Evidence: 1b.
Keywords: acetaminophen; celecoxib; cyclooxygenase‐2 inhibitors; post‐tonsillectomy hemorrhage; post‐tonsillectomy pain.
© 2021 The Authors. Laryngoscope Investigative Otolaryngology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of The Triological Society.