The Efficacy of Intravenous Paracetamol Versus Tramadol for Postoperative Analgesia after Elective Surgery

Background: Pain is an unpleasant sensory or emotional experience usually occurs due to potential tissue damage associated with surgical trauma. Opioids and Non steroidal antiinflammatory drugs are commonly used to alleviate pain but both have their own limitations in clinical use.

Objectives: This prospective randomized clinical trial was undertaken to evaluate the efficacy and quality of recovery with intravenous paracetamol versus tramadol for post operative analgesia after elective surgery.

Material and Methods: 40 ASA I&II patients of age group 15-40 years scheduled for elective surgery under general anaesthesia were enrolled in the study. After premedication, patients were randomized into two groups. Following induction of general anaesthesia patients of group 1 [n=20] received 15mg/kg of IV paracetamol and group 2 [n=20] received 1.0 mg/kg of IV tramadol over 15 minutes. During measurements, modified hanallah pain observation scores, Aldret scores [readiness for discharge], Sedation scores and Time to first rescue analgesia were recorded every 5 minutes during the first 30 minutes, then every 10 minutes for the remaining 30 minutes of the PACUs stay and upto first 2 hours in the ward. Statistical Analysis was done using SPSS Software Ver. 17.

Results: Results reveals there is statistically significant difference in mean postoperative observational pain score, aldret score and time to first rescue analgesia though the mean post operative nausea&vomiting incidence and sedation score between two groups are statistically non significant.

Conclusion: Clinically intravenous paracetamol offers better analgesic benefits to the patients than that of tramadol and due to early recovery characterstics in paracetamol group, patients are discharged early in case of paracetamol group and thus are economically effective in day care surgeries.