Objective:

This study was designed to compare the effects of dexketoprofen, lornoxicam, and diclophenac sodium on postoperative analgesia and tramadol consumption in patients receiving postoperative patient-controlled tramadol after a major abdominal surgery.

Methods:

Eighty patients were randomized to receive one of the four study drugs. Patients in group dexketoprofen (DT) received IV 50 mg dexketoprofen, group lornoxicam (LR) received IV 8 mg lornoxicam, group diclophenac sodium (DS) received 75 mg IV diclophenac sodium and group saline (S) received 0.9% saline in 2 mL syringes, 20 min before the end of anaesthesia. A standardized (1 mg kg−1) dose of tramadol was routinely administered to all patients as the loading dose at the end of surgery. Postoperatively, whenever patients requested, they were allowed to use a tramadol patient-controlled analgesia device giving a bolus dose (0.2 mg kg−1) of tramadol. Pain, discomfort, and sedation scores, cumulative tramadol consumption, supplemental meperidine requirement, and side effects were recorded.

Results:

Visual rating scale and patient discomfort scores were significantly lower in DT, LR and DS groups compared to those in in group S (p<0.001). Cumulative tramadol consumption was significantly lower in non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)-treated groups at each study period after the second postoperative hour than in group S (p<0.001). Supplemental meperidine requirement was significantly higher in group S at each study period after postoperative 30 min than in NSAID-treated groups (p<0.01).

Conclusion:

After major abdominal surgery, adding IV diclophenac, lornoxicam or dexketoprofen to patient-controlled tramadol resulted in lower pain scores, smaller tramadol consumption, less rescue supplemental analgesic requirement, and fewer side effects compared with the tramadol alone group.

Keywords: Dexketoprofen trometamol, diclophenac sodium, lornoxicam, patient controlled analgesia, tramadol