The effect of tramadol plus paracetamol on consumption of morphine after coronary artery bypass grafting.

STUDY OF OBJECTIVE

To compare the effects of oral tramadol+paracetamol combination on morphine consumption following coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in the patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) protocol.

DESIGN

A prospective, double-blind, randomized, clinical study.

SETTING

Single-institution, tertiary hospital.

PATIENTS

Fifty cardiac surgical patients undergoing primary CABG surgery.

INTERVENTIONS

After surgery, the patients were allocated to 1 of 2 groups. Both groups received morphine according to the PCA protocol after arrival to the coronary intensive care unit (bolus 1 mg, lockout time 15 minutes). In addition to morphine administration 2 hours before operation and postoperative 2nd, 6th, 12th, 18th, 24th, 30th, 36th, 42th, and 48th hours, group T received tramadol+paracetamol (Zaldiar; 325 mg paracetamol, 37.5 mg tramadol) and group P received placebo. Sedation levels were measured with the Ramsay Sedation Scale, whereas pain was assessed with the Pain Intensity Score during mechanical ventilation and with the Numeric Rating Scale after extubation. If the Numeric Rating Scale score was ≥3 and Pain Intensity Score was ≥3, 0.05 mg/kg morphine was administered additionally.

MEASUREMENTS

Preoperative patient characteristics, risk assessment, and intraoperative data were similar between the groups.

MAIN RESULTS

Cumulative morphine consumption, number of PCA demand, and boluses were higher in group P (P<.01). The amount of total morphine (in mg) used as a rescue analgesia was also higher in group P (5.06±1.0), compared with group T (2.37±0.52; P<.001). The patients who received rescue doses of morphine were 8 (32%) in group T and 18 (72%) in group P (P<.001). Duration of mechanical ventilation in group P was longer than group T (P<.01).

CONCLUSION

Tramadol+paracetamol combination along with PCA morphine improves analgesia and reduces morphine requirement up to 50% after CABG, compared with morphine PCA alone.