Double-blind placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial on the use of paracetamol for performing mammography

BACKGROUND: This study was conducted within the Goias Mastology Research Network. To verify the possibility of diminishing pain, and discomfort during the mammography using analgesic administration. METHODS: Randomized, double-blinded, placebo controlled trial, testing paracetamol to diminish the pain, and discomfort during mammography. Three hundred patients who came for screening mammography were randomized for this study. A questionnaire with 2 parts was used: the first had questions that concerned the patient identification, and factors related to the pain during mammography; and the second asked about the scale of discomfort (no discomfort; uncomfortable; very uncomfortable; intolerable), and the pain (analogical linear scale) during the mammography. Each patient received 1000 mg of paracetamol, or placebo. Afterwards each patient filled out the second part of the questionnaire. Six patients were excluded from the analysis; this resulted in 149 in the paracetamol group, and 145 in the placebo group. RESULTS: The 2 groups were homogenous concerning the mean of the ages, weight, height, and breast size. The mean of the pain was 3.5 in the paracetamol, and 2.8 in the placebo group (P = .12). There were fewer women experiencing mild pain in the paracetamol group when compared with those in placebo group (relative risk [RR] 0.76, confidence interval [CI] 95% 0.52–0.98). There was no significant difference between the 2 groups, according to the degrees of discomfort (P = .69). CONCLUSION: The use of paracetamol can reduces the mild pain for women undergoing mammography.