Safety and Efficacy of Intramuscular Diclofenac for the Postoperative Pain Management in Elective Inguinal Hernia Surgery: A Prospective Observational Study

This study looked at how well intramuscular diclofenac works for reducing pain after surgery for an inguinal hernia. The research was done at a large hospital that provides advanced medical care. It involved 50 adult patients who had their hernia repaired. Each person got 75 mg of diclofenac injected into the muscle every 8 hours for 24 hours after the operation. Pain was measured using a scale called the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) before the first dose and again at 1, 4, and 24 hours after. The study also checked for any side effects by tracking vital signs and noting any unwanted reactions. The findings showed that pain levels decreased a lot. On average, pain scores went from 7.4 before the treatment to 2.1 after 24 hours (p < 0.001). Most patients felt their pain was well-controlled. Some patients had mild side effects like soreness at the injection site in 8% of cases and mild stomach discomfort in 4%. There were no serious side effects or cases where patients had to stop the treatment. In summary, the study found that using diclofenac injections is a good and safe way to manage pain after hernia surgery. It works quickly and lasts for a long time, making it a good choice when oral pain medicine isn't possible.