Using Tramadol for Acute Postoperative Pain Relief

Tramadol is especially suited to the treatment of acute pain with a number of formulations available and specific aspects that make it both effective and safe in problematic areas such as paediatric and cardiac surgery. Analgesia is dose-dependent, and in the awake patient, titration to optimal effect is recommended practice. Tramadol has been shown to provide effective analgesia after both intramuscular and intravenous administration for the treatment of postoperative pain.

The drug is available in formulations suitable for oral, rectal and parenteral administration. Clinically effective analgesic doses of tramadol were comparable to those of pethidine (meperidine) and about 10 times higher than those of morphine. While it is not recommended as a supplement to general anaesthesia because of its insufficient sedative activity, tramadol has been successful in the treatment of postoperative pain.

Adverse events can be readily prevented or treated with appropriate therapy and patient compliance appears to be good.

As with any agent, there are aspects about the use of tramadol that need care and attention; slow intravenous injection will reduce the incidence of nausea, and administration at the commencement of anaesthesia or before wound closure will ensure that the patient awakes in comfort and with minimal occurrence of adverse events.