Comparing the efficacy of intravenous morphine versus ibuprofen or the combination of ibuprofen and acetaminophen in patients with closed limb fractures: a randomized clinical trial

IntroductionThis study aims to investigate the effectiveness of intravenous ibuprofen or intravenous ibuprofen plus acetaminophen compared to intravenous morphine in patients with closed extremity fractures.MethodsA triple-blinded randomized clinical trial was conducted at a tertiary trauma center in Iran. Adult patients between 15 and 60 years old with closed, isolated limb fractures and a pain intensity of at least 6/10 on the visual analog scale (VAS) were eligible. Patients with specific conditions or contraindications were not included. Participants were randomly assigned to receive intravenous ibuprofen, intravenous ibuprofen plus acetaminophen, or intravenous morphine. Pain scores were assessed using the visual analog scale at baseline and 5, 15, 30, and 60 min after drug administration. The primary outcome measure was the pain score reduction after one hour.ResultsOut of 388 trauma patients screened, 158 were included in the analysis. There were no significant differences in age or sex distribution among the three groups. The pain scores decreased significantly in all groups after 5 min, with the morphine group showing the lowest pain score at 15 min. The maximum effect of ibuprofen was observed after 30 min, while the ibuprofen-acetaminophen combination maintained its effect after 60 min. One hour after injection, pain score reduction in the ibuprofen-acetaminophen group was significantly more than in the other two groups, and pain score reduction in the ibuprofen group was significantly more than in the morphine group.ConclusionThe study findings suggest that ibuprofen and its combination with acetaminophen have similar or better analgesic effects compared to morphine in patients with closed extremity fractures. Although morphine initially provided the greatest pain relief, its effect diminished over time. In contrast, ibuprofen and the ibuprofen-acetaminophen combination maintained their analgesic effects for a longer duration. The combination therapy demonstrated the most sustained pain reduction. The study highlights the potential of non-opioid analgesics in fracture pain management and emphasizes the importance of initiation of these medications as first line analgesic for patients with fractures. These findings support the growing trend of exploring non-opioid analgesics in pain management.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05630222 (Tue, Nov 29, 2022). The manuscript adheres to CONSORT guidelines.