Continuous Lornoxicam Infusion for Orthopaedic Surgery

Perioperative continuous infusion of lornoxicam would be an effective and safe regimen to reduce the patient controlled morphine consumption after orthopaedic surgery. After ethical approval, 96 patients scheduled for elective orthopaedic fracture surgery under general anaesthesia were randomly allocated to receive placebo, 12-hourly iv lornoxicam 16 mg or lornoxicam 16 mg followed with continuous infusion of 1.3 mg/hr., for 48 hours after surgery (n=32 per group). Anaesthesia was induced with propofol, sufentanil and rocuronium, and was maintained with 0.5-1 minimum alveolar concentration sevoflurane, sufentanil and rocuronium. Postoperative patient controlled morphine analgesia was used. Changes in heart rate, mean blood pressure and sevoflurane minimum alveolar concentration, visual analogue pain scores, and cumulative patient controlled morphine consumptions and blood loss for 48 hours, platelet functions, bone non-union and the presence of adverse effects were recorded.