Meta-analysis casts doubt over paracetamol use for back pain and osteoarthritis

摘要

A meta-analysis published in The BMJ (online, 31 March 2015) has cast doubt on the use of paracetamol as the first-line analgesic for spinal pain and osteoarthritis of the hip and knee, as is currently recommended in clinical guidelines. An analysis of 13 randomised trials yielded high-quality evidence that paracetamol is ineffective for reducing pain and disability in people with lower back pain. Patients taking paracetamol were also around four times more likely to have abnormal results on liver function tests.