Effects of Oxycodone Combined With Flurbiprofen Axetil on Postoperative Analgesia and Immune Function in Patients Undergoing Radical Resection of Colorectal Cancer

The influence of surgery and anesthesia on immune function during the perioperative period should not be neglected. In this study, we evaluated the effects of oxycodone combined with flurbiprofen axetil on postoperative analgesia and immune function in patients undergoing radical resection of colorectal cancer (CRC). One hundred and thirty-three were randomized into the oxycodone combined with flurbiprofen axetil (OF) group or the sufentanil combined with flurbiprofen axetil (SF) group. Patients in the OF group were prescribed oxycodone hydrochloride 0.1 mg/kg combined with flurbiprofen axetil 3 mg/kg for postoperative analgesia, whereas the SF group received sufentanil 0.1 μg/kg combined with flurbiprofen axetil 3 mg/kg. The primary outcome was visual analog scale (VAS) score. Secondary outcomes included the quantities of CD4⁺ , CD8⁺ , and natural killer (NK) T cells, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α level, and interleukin (IL)-6 in peripheral blood, the consumption of analgesics, and the incidence of adverse reactions, and so forth. The VAS scores at rest were similar in both group. However, the VAS scores at cough in the OF group at 8, 12, and 24 hours postsurgery were lower than those in the SF group. Compared with the SF group, the count of CD4⁺ T cells and ratio of CD4⁺ /CD8⁺ were higher in the OF group at 12, 24, 48, and 72 hours postsurgery, although the count of CD8⁺ and NK T cells was higher than that in the SF group at 48 and 72 hours postsurgery. In addition, the serum level of TNF-α and IL-6 at 12, 24, 48, and 72 hours postsurgery in the OF group was lower than that in the SF group. In addition, the incidence of postoperative nausea, postoperative vomiting, and pruritus was lower, the time to first flatus and bowel movement was earlier in the OF group. Oxycodone combined with flurbiprofen axetil applied for patient-controlled intravenous analgesia could effectively reduce pain intensity, particularly for visceral pain, and help to reverse the status of immunosuppression during radical resection of CRC.

Keywords: flurbiprofen axetil; immune function; oxycodone; postoperative analgesia; radical resection of colon cancer.