Comparison of the Analgesic Effect of Paracetamol and Magnesium Sulfate during Surgeries

BACKGROUND: New drugs are increasingly used to induce analgesia during surgeries. This study compared the analgesic effects of paracetamol and magnesium sulfate. METHODS: Sixty patients with American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) class I or II patients who were candidates for surgery of the lower limbs were randomly divided into three equal groups who were age and gender matched. Group 1 received paracetamol, and group 2, the magnesium sulfate during surgery and group 3 as the control. Pain intensities were measured and recorded using the Visual Analog Scale before surgery, in the recovery room, and 6, 12, and 18 hours after surgery. RESULTS: Pain intensities (7.10, 5.80, and 4.10) were higher in the control group; 6, 12, and 18 hours after surgery compared to the paracetamol (6.45, 4.15, 2.50) and the magnesium groups (7.25, 4.55, and 2.05), but the difference was not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Paracetamol and magnesium sulfate were shown to have postoperative analgesic effects and reduce the quantity of narcotic use after surgery.