Preoperative oral paracetamol versus intraoperative intravenous paracetamol: plasma levels in the recovery room

Paracetamol is traditionally given by anaesthetists in tablet form around one hour before an operation with the intention of providing good pain relief in the period following the operation. Recently, an IV formulation has become available and can be given during the operation. We compared which of these techniques gave higher levels of paracetamol in the bloodstream after the operation. We also looked at how much extra pain relief was needed in the recovery room, how long patients stayed in the recovery room and how sore they were.