ABSTRACT : The purpose of the studyis to determine the post-operative analgesic effects of Pre-emptive intravenous (iv) paracetamol in ENT surgery.

METHODS : Following institutional ethics committee approval,60 American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) physical status I-II patients were assigned in a randomized manner into two groups: Group I received iv paracetamol 1g, in 100mL, 20 minutes before induction and Group II received iv paracetamol 1g, in 100 mL, at the end of the surgery. The time to first analgesic use and the total analgesic consumed in 24 hours was recorded. Visual Analog Scale (VAS) pain scores were obtained from all patients at 0, 30 minutes, 1, 2, 6, 12 and 24 hours after the end of the Surgery.

RESULTS : Results: Time to first analgesic requirement was significantly longer in Group I compared to Group II (p = 0.0329). Rescue analgesic consumption and post-operative VAS pain scores recorded were significantly lower in Group I compared to Group II (p < 0.05) until 24 after surgery.

CONCLUSIONS : Pre-emptive iv paracetamol in comparison to intra-operative paracetamol, provided effective and reliable post-operative analgesia in ENT surgery.