Efficacy of Preventive Analgesia with Tramadol or Lornoxicam for Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy: A Prospective, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study

Abstract

Background: Prevention of postoperative pain provides better and more rapid convalescence for patients. Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the preventive analgesic effect of tramadol and lornoxicam in the early postoperative period in patients undergoing percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL). Methods: Patients who were scheduled for elective PCNL at the Cumhuriyet University Hospital, Sivas, Turkey, were enrolled in this prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. The patients were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups: tramadol, lornoxicam, and normal saline (NS). Ten minutes before induction of anesthesia, the tramadol group received tramadol 100 mg IV, the lornoxicam group received lornoxicam 8 mg IV, and the NS group received NS 2 mL IV. Anesthesia was induced using fentanyl 1 μg/kg and thiopental sodium 4 to 7 mg/kg. Vecuronium 0.1 mg/kg was used for muscle relaxation. Desflurane 4% to 6% and 50%:50% oxygen/nitrous oxide were used for maintenance. Oxygen saturation, heart rate, and mean blood pressure were recorded before induction and during the postoperative period. During the postoperative period, visual analogue scale O/AS) scores, time to first analgesic (TFA), total analgesic consumption (TAC), and patient satisfaction scores were determined. Data about postoperative nausea and vomiting and other adverse events and complications were also collected. Results: Seventy-three patients were assessed for enrollment and 60 (33 women, 27 men; mean [SD] age, 44.69 [11.27] years; age range, 20–62 years) were included in the study. The baseline demographic characteristics and duration of surgery were similar in all 3 groups. The mean (SD) VAS scores in the tramadol group were significantly lower than in the NS group at 15 and 30 minutes and 1, 2, 4, and 12 hours after surgery (all, P < 0.05). The VAS scores in the lornoxicam group were significantly lower than in the NS group at 15 and 30 minutes and 1 hour (all, P < 0.05). The VAS score at 1 hour after surgery was significantly lower in the tramadol group than in the lornoxicam group (18 [8] vs 32 [16]; P < 0.05); however, there were no other significant differences in VAS scores between the active groups. A significantly shorter TFA was associated with the NS group when compared with the tramadol and lornoxicam groups (46 [27] vs 354 [187] and 180 [118], respectively; both, P < 0.05). TFA was significantly shorter in the lornoxicam group when compared with the tramadol roup (180 [118] vs 354 [187]; P < 0.05). TAC was significantly higher in the NS group than in the tramadol and lornoxicam groups (270 [47] vs 115 [74] and 145 [72], respectively; both, P < 0.05). Patient satisfaction score (range) was significantly lower in the NS group when compared with the tramadol and lornoxicam groups (0 [0–1] vs 3 [0–3] and 2 [0–3], respectively; both, P < 0.05). There were no other significant between-group differences observed. Conclusions: Tramadol and lornoxicam were more effective than NS in preventing early postoperative pain. The preventive analgesic effect of tramadol was comparable with that of lornoxicam, except at 1 hour when tramadol was more effective among these patients undergoing PCNL. Both drugs were well tolerated.