Annals of the rheumatic diseases
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Review Meta Analysis
Does paracetamol (acetaminophen) reduce the pain of osteoarthritis? A meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.
To assess the best available evidence for efficacy of paracetamol (acetaminophen) in the treatment of osteoarthritis (OA). ⋯ Paracetamol is an effective agent for pain relief due to OA. Although safer, it is less effective than NSAIDs. For safety reasons paracetamol should be the first line treatment, with NSAIDs reserved for those who do not respond.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Patient Preference for Placebo, Acetaminophen (paracetamol) or Celecoxib Efficacy Studies (PACES): two randomised, double blind, placebo controlled, crossover clinical trials in patients with knee or hip osteoarthritis.
Acetaminophen (paracetamol) is recommended as the initial pharmacological treatment for knee or hip osteoarthritis. However, survey and clinical trial data indicate greater efficacy for non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and cyclo-oxygenase-2 specific inhibitors. ⋯ Greater efficacy was seen for celecoxib v acetaminophen v placebo, while adverse events and tolerability were similar. Variation in results and statistical significance in the two different trials are of interest.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Clinical Trial
Paracetamol in osteoarthritis of the knee.
Paracetamol is a recommended symptomatic treatment of osteoarthritis (OA), but in clinical trials sample sizes have been relatively small and variable daily doses of paracetamol have been used. ⋯ A statistically significant symptomatic effect of oral paracetamol 4 g/day over placebo was not found, suggesting that paracetamol use in symptomatic OA of the knee should be further explored. The tolerability and safety of paracetamol, at the recommended maximum dose of 4 g/day, was confirmed over 6 weeks.