What place is there for tramadol/dexketoprofen?

No single analgesic provides effective pain relief in all patients and increasing the dose of an analgesic may increase its unwanted effects.1 In addition, pain frequently results from multiple mechanisms that may respond to different pharmacological interventions.2 One suggested approach is to combine analgesics with different modes of action, with the aim of delivering better analgesia using lower doses of each drug.1 Skudexa (A. Menarini Farmaceutica Internazionale SRL), a combination of tramadol hydrochloride (a synthetic opioid analgesic that is a partial agonist at the μ, δ and κ opioid receptors) and dexketoprofen (a NSAID), is licensed for short term treatment of moderate to severe acute pain in adults.1-4 Here, we consider the evidence for this product and how it fits with current guidance on the management of pain.