ASSESSMENT OF EFFICACY OF PRE-OPERATIVE TRANSDERMAL FENTANYL PATCH IN POST -OPERATIVE ANALGESIA IN PATIENTS UNDERGOING ABDOMINAL SURGERIES UNDER GENERALANAESTHESIA – A PROSPECTIVE RANDOMISED CONTROLLED STUDY

Abstract

Abdominal surgeries done under general anaesthesia is associated with severe pain in the post-operative period. There are many drugs that can be administered to alleviate post-operative pain. Opioids are an essential to the mitigation of visceral pain associated with abdominal surgeries. Apart from needles and epidural catheters which are invasive, transdermal drug delivery systems are novel, non-invasive, and is associated with increased patient comfort. Among drugs that can be delivered by transdermal route fentanyl is an effective opioid analgesic that has a high potency and high lipid solubility making it suitable for transdermal delivery1. This study attempts at the evaluation of the analgesic efcacy of fentanyl patch applied pre-operatively in alleviation of post-operative pain in patients undergoing abdominal surgeries under general anaesthesia