Ibuprofen Oral Administration Protocols for Analgesia After Cesarean Delivery: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Study.

Objective: To compare the analgesic effects of ibuprofen administered orally via two modes combined with a conventional, patient-controlled intravenous analgesia pump on maternal pain after cesarean section (CS). Methods: This prospective, randomized, controlled study enrolled females who underwent CS from August 2022 to August 2023 at Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China. Participants were randomly assigned to either an as-needed ibuprofen group (300 mg orally upon request) or a scheduled ibuprofen group (300 mg every 12 hours for 48 hours). The primary outcomes assessed were postoperative pain levels using the Wong-Baker Faces Pain Scale-Revised and cumulative oxycodone consumption at multiple time points up to 48 hours post-delivery. Secondary outcomes included recovery parameters (time to first flatus, ambulation, and lactation initiation), patient satisfaction with pain control, and postpartum depression scores evaluated by the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale on postoperative day 3. Normally distributed data analyzed with Results: After excluding 61 non-eligible cases, 339 patients were included (171 as-needed Conclusion: The results of this study promote the use of ibuprofen (scheduled oral administration) combined with a conventional, patient-controlled intravenous analgesia pump for achieving better post-CS pain control than an as-needed dosage regimen. Registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR2400082474.