The Difference between the Analgesic and Antipyretic Effects of Lornoxicam

Lornoxicam is a non-selective cyclooxygenase inhibitor that exhibits strong analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects but a weak antipyretic effect in rat models. We studied the analgesic and antipyretic effects of lornoxicam on postoperative pain and fever. Forty-three patients who underwent surgery under general anesthesia in our department between August 2011 and September 2012 were enrolled in the study, comprising 27 males and 16 females ranging in age from 15 to 74 years with an average age of 44.8 years. The operative procedures were endoscopic sinus surgery in 32 patients, tonsillectomy in 10 patients and an adenotomy in one patient. The patients were administered of lornoxicam 8 mg when they felt postsurgical pain. The pain intensity was evaluated with the Wong-Baker FACES Pain Rating Scale (0=no pain, 5=most intense). The pain intensity and body temperature were checked immediately before and 1 h after medication. Body temperature was also checked before surgery. Lornoxicam was administered once in 43 patients, twice in 24 patients, and three times in 15 patients (82 times overall). The pain intensity was significantly reduced after administration (2.6→1.0 overall, P<0.001). Body temperature before medication was significantly higher than that before surgery (36.5°C vs. 36.9°C overall, P<0.001), but did not differ from that after medication (36.9°C vs. 36.8°C overall, P=0.584). The results were the same when the first, second and third administrations were analyzed separately. These results indicate that lornoxicam inhibits pain without affecting body temperature. We conclude that lornoxicam is an ideal analgesic that does not prevent pyrexia, one of the early signs of infections and postoperative complications.