Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals has released results from a study comparing intravenous acetaminophen and oral acetaminophen for managing postoperative pain in total knee arthroplasty.
The researchers identified 190,691 patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty at hospitals in the United States, 30 percent of whom received IV acetaminophen. The researchers used OFIRMEV, an injection developed by Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals, for the IV acetaminophen variable; both IV acetaminophen and oral acetaminophen were administered as part of a multimodal pain management strategy.
Here's what the study found, in regards to IV acetaminophen:
1. Decreased length of stay and hospitalization costs.
2. Reduced opioid use and opioid-related complications.
3. Lower likelihood of 30-day readmissions or discharge to a skilled nursing facility.
These results were presented at the Annual National Forum on Quality Improvement in Health Care of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement in Orlando, which took place last week.