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IV vs. Oral Acetaminophen as a Component of Multimodal Analgesia After Total Hip Arthroplasty

IV vs. Oral Acetaminophen as a Component of Multimodal Analgesia After Total Hip Arthroplasty: a Randomized, Blinded Trial

Status
Completed
Phases
Phase 4
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT03020966
Acronym
IV Tylenol
Enrollment
154
Registered
2017-01-13
Start date
2017-02-16
Completion date
2019-06-16
Last updated
2021-08-10

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Opioid Use, Pain, Postoperative

Brief summary

The purpose of this study is to determine how well two different methods of administrating Tylenol reduce pain and improve patient satisfaction after total hip replacement (THR) surgery. The methods of administration are orally, via a pill that is to be swallowed, and intravenously. Our aim is to determine whether oral or intravenous administration of Tylenol will reduce opioid consumption and opioid-related side effects after THR.

Detailed description

A) Opioid use after THA. Opioid use after THA can be 90 mg (+/-79) in morphine equivalents when using epidural bupivacaine / hydromorphone and multimodal analgesia. Less than 1/3 of this was via the epidural (26/90 mg). Patients reported ORSDS composite scores of 0.58 B) IV vs oral acetaminophen. The therapeutic blood concentration of acetaminophen for pain relief is 10 mcg/ml. After an oral, single dose: In 24 fasting adult subjects, the maximal blood concentration (Cmax) of 7.7 to 17.6 mcg/mL occurred within 1 hour following a single 1000-mg dose of oral acetaminophen (liquid or caplet). Acetaminophen crosses the blood-brain barrier. Central diffusion to the brain and spinal fluid occurs within 15 to 45 minutes with maximum cerebrospinal fluid concentrations occurring at 2 to 4 hours. \[Product Information: TYLENOL(R) oral, acetaminophen oral. McNeil Consumer Healthcare, Skillman, NJ, 2010\]. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, single-dose study, acetaminophen 1,000 mg provided significantly greater efficacy in treating postsurgical dental pain compared with acetaminophen 650 mg and placebo. Oral, multiple-dose, immediate-release, elderly patients: In 12 very elderly patients (mean age, 89 years), the Cmax was 23.9 mcg/mL following the administration of acetaminophen 1000 mg orally 3 times daily for 5 days. In adult subjects, the mean Cmax was 28 +/- 21 mcg/mL at the end of a 15-minute IV infusion of acetaminophen 1000 mg. \[Product Information: OFIRMEV(TM) intravenous infusion, acetaminophen intravenous infusion. Cadence Pharmaceuticals Inc., San Diego, CA, 2010\]. The oral medication has an excellent absorption and at least 85% bioavailability, but peak concentration occurs later than the IV, and the therapeutic blood concentration for pain relief (10mcg/ml) may not be achieved after one oral dose (7-17mcg/ml).A full stomach delays the absorption. With multiple doses, in elderly patients, or with renal/ liver failure, the blood concentration is higher. Epidural bupivacaine / clonidine (Liu). Pain scores (NRS) after THA with activity on POD1 can be 3.4 mean (2.6 SD) when using epidural bupivacaine / clonidine and multimodal analgesia. Low-opioid protocol (oxycodone may be too strong for some; cannot use Vicodin due to acetaminophen) Choice of instruments (CAM, ORSDS, Pain OUT). The ORSDS is a 4-point scale that evaluates 12 symptoms (nausea, vomiting, constipation, difficulty passing urine, difficulty concentrating, drowsiness or difficulty staying awake, feeling lightheaded or dizzy, feeling confused, feelings of general fatigue or weakness, itchiness, dry mouth and headache) via 3 symptom distress dimensions (frequency, severity, bothersomeness). It is validated for use after orthopaedic surgery, specifically including TKA patients receiving epidural analgesia and femoral nerve blockade. Patients can meet criteria for delirium by CAM by having acute onset of inattention as well as either disorganized thinking or altered level of consciousness.Patients without acute onset can also meet criteria for delirium if inattention, disorganized thinking and altered level of consciousness are all present, with at least one factor judged to be fluctuating. CAM has been widely applied and has been specifically used to evaluate elderly TKA patients receiving epidural analgesia and femoral nerve blockade. The Patient Outcome Questionnaire by the American Pain society is used for quality improvement, and measures 6 aspects of quality, including (1) pain severity and relief; (2) impact of pain on activity, sleep, and negative emotions; (3) side effects of treatment; (4) helpfulness of information about pain treatment; (5) ability to participate in pain treatment decisions; and (6) use of nonpharmacological strategies.

Interventions

DRUGAcetaminophen

Oral acetaminophen, intravenous placebo

Sponsors

Mallinckrodt
CollaboratorINDUSTRY
Hospital for Special Surgery, New York
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
TRIPLE (Subject, Caregiver, Investigator)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 90 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Adult * Scheduled for an elective primary THA with a participating surgeon, * Planned for Combined Spinal Epidural anesthesia (CSE) and Patient Controlled Epidural Analgesia (PCEA) * English-speaking * Patients that did not receive pre-operative opioids

Exclusion criteria

* Hepatic or renal insufficiency, as defined by abnormal readings on liver and kidney functioning tests. * Hypersensitivity or contraindication to protocol medication * Contraindication for CSE and PCEA * Incapable to provide consent/answer questions in English * Revision or urgent surgery * Receiving Periarticular Injections * History of opioid use * Patients on disability or worker's compensation

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Pain With Physical Therapy on Post-operative Day 124 hours after the operation (post-operative day 1)Numerical rating scale of pain on a scale of 0-10, with 0 representing the minimum value of no pain and 10, representing the maximum, defined as being pain as bad as imaginable.
Opioid UseDay of surgery to post-operative day 3Oral morphine equivalents, cumulative, POD 0-3. Recorded in Medication Usage Database.
Opioid Side Effects24 hours after surgery (Post-operative day 1)The Opioid-Related Symptom Distress Scale (ORSDS) is a Likert scale that evaluates 3 symptom distress dimensions (frequency, severity, bothersomeness) for 12 symptoms. Frequency is rated on a 4-point scale (1= 'Rarely', 4= 'Almost constantly'). Severity is rated on a 4-point scale (1= 'Slightly', 4= 'Very'). Bothersomeness is rated on a 5-point scale (0.8= 'Not at all', 4.0= 'Very much'). The symptom-specific ORSDS is the average of the 3 symptom distress dimensions. The composite ORSDS score is the average of 12 symptom-specific scores.

Countries

United States

Participant flow

Participants by arm

ArmCount
Oral Tylenol
Patient group receiving 1000mg of oral acetaminophen and an intravenous placebo Acetaminophen: Oral acetaminophen, intravenous placebo
77
Intravenous Tylenol
Patient group receiving 1000mg of intravenous acetaminophen and an oral placebo Acetaminophen: Intravenous acetaminophen, oral placebo
77
Total154

Withdrawals & dropouts

PeriodReasonFG000FG001
Overall StudyWithdrawal by Subject20

Baseline characteristics

CharacteristicOral TylenolIntravenous TylenolTotal
Age, Categorical
<=18 years
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Age, Categorical
>=65 years
37 Participants38 Participants75 Participants
Age, Categorical
Between 18 and 65 years
40 Participants39 Participants79 Participants
Age, Continuous65 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 10
63 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 10
64 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 10
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Hispanic or Latino
3 Participants2 Participants5 Participants
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Not Hispanic or Latino
74 Participants75 Participants149 Participants
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Unknown or Not Reported
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
American Indian or Alaska Native
0 Participants3 Participants3 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Asian
1 Participants0 Participants1 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Black or African American
4 Participants4 Participants8 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
More than one race
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Unknown or Not Reported
2 Participants1 Participants3 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
White
70 Participants69 Participants139 Participants
Region of Enrollment
United States
77 participants77 participants154 participants
Sex: Female, Male
Female
42 Participants49 Participants91 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Male
35 Participants28 Participants63 Participants

Adverse events

Event typeEG000
affected / at risk
EG001
affected / at risk
deaths
Total, all-cause mortality
0 / 750 / 76
other
Total, other adverse events
0 / 750 / 76
serious
Total, serious adverse events
0 / 750 / 76

Outcome results

Primary

Opioid Side Effects

The Opioid-Related Symptom Distress Scale (ORSDS) is a Likert scale that evaluates 3 symptom distress dimensions (frequency, severity, bothersomeness) for 12 symptoms. Frequency is rated on a 4-point scale (1= 'Rarely', 4= 'Almost constantly'). Severity is rated on a 4-point scale (1= 'Slightly', 4= 'Very'). Bothersomeness is rated on a 5-point scale (0.8= 'Not at all', 4.0= 'Very much'). The symptom-specific ORSDS is the average of the 3 symptom distress dimensions. The composite ORSDS score is the average of 12 symptom-specific scores.

Time frame: 24 hours after surgery (Post-operative day 1)

Population: Three patients withdrew from the protocol, but were followed using intention-to-treat principles. One patient did not wish to answer the postoperative questions, 1 could not swallow the pills, and 1 received a different anesthetic/analgesic protocol due to pre-existing expectations. In addition, ORSDS on POD 1 was not recorded for two patients who were lost to follow up.

ArmMeasureValue (MEAN)Dispersion
Oral TylenolOpioid Side Effects0.4 score on a scaleStandard Deviation 0.3
Intravenous TylenolOpioid Side Effects0.3 score on a scaleStandard Deviation 0.3
Primary

Opioid Use

Oral morphine equivalents, cumulative, POD 0-3. Recorded in Medication Usage Database.

Time frame: Day of surgery to post-operative day 3

ArmMeasureValue (MEAN)Dispersion
Oral TylenolOpioid Use108 Oral Morphine Equivalent (mg)Standard Deviation 63
Intravenous TylenolOpioid Use121 Oral Morphine Equivalent (mg)Standard Deviation 71
Primary

Pain With Physical Therapy on Post-operative Day 1

Numerical rating scale of pain on a scale of 0-10, with 0 representing the minimum value of no pain and 10, representing the maximum, defined as being pain as bad as imaginable.

Time frame: 24 hours after the operation (post-operative day 1)

Population: Three patients withdrew from the protocol, but were followed using intention-to-treat principles. One patient did not wish to answer the postoperative questions, 1 could not swallow the pills, and 1 received a different anesthetic/analgesic protocol due to pre-existing expectations.

ArmMeasureValue (MEAN)Dispersion
Oral TylenolPain With Physical Therapy on Post-operative Day 13.6 score on a scaleStandard Deviation 2.4
Intravenous TylenolPain With Physical Therapy on Post-operative Day 13.9 score on a scaleStandard Deviation 2.4

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026