• F Vial, H Bouaziz, G Mekler, C Cornet, M Merle, and M C Laxenaire.
• Département d'anesthésie-réanimation chirurgicale, hôpital Central, 29, avenue Lattre-de-Tassigny, 54035 Nancy, France.
• Ann Fr Anesth Reanim. 2000 Nov 1;19(9):643-8.

ObjectiveThe course of pain and the incidence of the side effects from analgesics were evaluated for 15 days in 26 consecutive outpatients who underwent a surgical cure of trapeziometacarpal osteoarthritis of the thumb under regional block.Study DesignProspective study.MethodsThe analgesic regimen prescribed at discharge consisted on a regular administration of a combination of ketoprofen (50 mg.6.h-1) plus the association of acetaminophen and propoxyphene (two tablets.6.h-1). Patients were asked to evaluate their pain using a numerical rating scale graduated from 0 to 10. Data were collected during a telephone interview at day 4, 8 and 15.ResultsOverall, patients scrupulously followed the medical prescription. At day four, 80% of patients still needed analgesics. The mean period during which NSAID, acetaminophen and propoxyphene were maintained was 4 and 6 days respectively. Fifty percent of patients reported severe pain during postoperative day 1 and 2. Moderate pain was reported at day 3 and 4 in respectively 54% and 42% of cases. Beyond this period, most patients indicated pain of weak intensity (71% at day 8). Epigastric pain has been noticed for 27% of patients.ConclusionThe surgical correction of trapeziometacarpal osteoarthritis of the thumb is frequently performed according to an ambulatory setting. The fact that 50% of patients reported severe pain during the early postoperative period emphasize the inadequacy of our postoperative pain management for this surgical procedure.

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