Skip to the main content

Croatian Medical Journal, Vol. 63 No. 2, 2022.

Original scientific paper

https://doi.org/10.3325/cmj.2022.63.110

Intermittent tramadol vs tramadol administration via patient-controlled pump after lumbar discectomy: a randomized controlled trial

Biljana Kurtović orcid id orcid.org/0000-0001-9669-9829 ; University of Applied Health Sciences, Zagreb, Croatia
Krešimir Rotim ; University of Applied Health Sciences, Zagreb, Croati
Tomislav Sajko ; University of Applied Health Sciences, Zagreb, Croati
Cecilija Rotim ; University of Applied Health Sciences, Zagreb, Croati
Adriano Friganović orcid id orcid.org/0000-0002-9528-6464 ; University of Applied Health Sciences, Zagreb, Croati
Milan Milošević ; Department of Environmental Health, Occupational and Sports Medicine, Andrija Stampar School of Public Health, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia

Full text: english pdf 285 Kb

page 101-116

downloads: 190

cite

Abstract

Aim To compare the effect of intermittent tramadol dosing vs tramadol administration via patient-controlled
pump on pain after lumbar discectomy.
Methods This randomized prospective study enrolled 100
patients who underwent elective LIV-LV lumbar discectomy in the neurosurgery department at Sestre Milosrdnice
University Hospital Center from May 2016 to July 2017. Patients were randomized to receive either tramadol (600 mg
daily) via a patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) pump or intermittently. Pain was evaluated by the Croatian version of
Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire.
Results Forty percent of patients were women. The median (interquartile range) age of the patients was 51 (40-61)
years. The groups did not differ in pain at 7 pm on the day of
discectomy. However, in the morning and evening on the
first postoperative day and in the morning and evening of
the second postoperative day, the PCA group had significantly lower pain (P=0.023, P<0.001, P<0.001, P=0.026,
respectively).
Conclusion This is the first study that used the Short
Form McGill Pain Questionnaire to compare the effect of
tramadol administration via PCA pump and intermittent
administration on pain after LIV-LV discectomy in a neurosurgery department. Tramadol showed a good analgesic
efficacy in lumbar spine surgery; tramadol via PCA controlled pain more effectively than intermittently administered tramadol.

Keywords

Hrčak ID:

279006

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/279006

Publication date:

21.4.2022.

Visits: 633 *