Efficacy of paracetamol added to WHO step III opioids in chronic pain control: study protocol for a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, non-inferiority, multicentre study in Switzerland.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

The analgesic and antipyretic paracetamol (acetaminophen) is generally considered safe in therapeutic doses. The most important toxic effect is hepatotoxicity after supratherapeutic doses or in the presence of risk factors (eg, malnutrition, alcoholism). According to the WHO analgesic ladder, a combination of a non-opioid analgesic such as paracetamol with a strong opioid is recommended as step III treatment of patients with chronic pain, despite limited evidence for this approach. The main aim of this study is to test the hypothesis that paracetamol does not provide clinically relevant benefits when added to strong opioids in patients with chronic pain.

Methods and analysis

Investigator-initiated, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, non-inferiority tr

SUBMITTER: Kotoula C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12766828 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature