A COMPARATIVE SPLIT MOUTH STUDY TO EVALUATE THE ANALGESIC EFFICACY OF “DICLOFENAC TRANSDERMAL PATCH” AND “DICLOFENAC INTRAMUSCULAR INJECTION” IN THE IMMEDIATE POST OPERATIVE PERIOD IN PATIENTS UNDERGOING IMPACTED MANDIBULAR THIRD MOLAR REMOVAL

Introduction: Successful surgical treatment is based on correct surgical techniques and the prevention and management of postoperative pain and complications. For postoperative analgesia, multimodal combinations are prescribed nowadays. Aim: The present study aims to evaluate the analgesic efficacy of diclofenac trans-dermal patch and diclofenac intramuscular injection in immediate post-operative patients after extraction of impacted mandibular 3rd molar and the objective is to evaluate the side effects associated with both the modalities and to compare the analgesic efficacy of two modalities. Material and Methods: In this study, eighty bilaterally impacted third molars were selected. The study drugs (trans-dermal Diclofenac patch and Diclofenac intramuscular injection) were divided into two groups Group A (40 cases) and Group B (40 cases). Post-operative self-evaluation by the patient for pain was done. It was recorded at intervals of 2 hours, 8 hours, 16 hours, 24 hours, 2nd day and3rd day using the Visual Analogue Scale.Results and Discussion: Statistically significant higher pain score observed among group B at 8 hours (Mean rank = 28.20; p= 0.001), 16 hours (Mean rank= 30.25; p= 0.001), 24 hours (Mean rank=30.50; p= 0.001), 2 days (Mean rank= 27.05; p= 0.001) and 3rd day (Mean rank= 26.50; p= 0.001) respectively after extraction when compared with group A.Conclusion: Transdermal diclofenac patch is an effective, non-invasive, and cost-effective way of managing post-operative pain and can be used as a modality to control pain in an immediate post-operative period.