Etoricoxib better than tramadol for postoperative pain.....

In continuation of my update on Etoricoxib...

Researchers lead by Dr. Metha Brattwall of University Hospital Möndal in Gothenburg, Sweden, have come up with an  interesting finding, i.e., for patients with moderate pain after foot surgery, the cyclo-oxygenase 2 (COX-2) inhibitor drug etoricoxib provides better pain relief with fewer side effects than the opioid drug tramadol. The study also helps to alleviate concerns that COX-2 inhibitors and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may interfere with bone healing after surgery.  The researchers compared two different pain-relieving drugs in 100 women undergoing surgery for bunions (hallux valgus). One group received the COX-2 inhibitor etoricoxib, while the other group received tramadol, an opioid (narcotic-like) drug similar to codeine.

Although both drugs were effective in controlling pain in the week after surgery, pain scores were significantly lower in the etoricoxib group. Women assigned to etoricoxib had an average pain score of 12.5 (on a 100-point scale), compared to 17 in those receiving tramadol.  As per the claim by  the researchers, patients in the etoricoxib group had lower maximum pain scores throughout the week after surgery. They also had better pain relief on the second and third days after surgery, when pain scores were highest.

"Etoricoxib was also associated with fewer side effects and thus overall patient satisfaction with pain medication," the researchers write...

Interesting results from this study are that, no evidence of impaired healing in patients taking NSAIDs, at least after a relatively minor operation like bunion surgery. Etoricoxib is not currently approved for use in the United States, but is available in other countries. NSAIDs are generally considered much safer than opioid drugs.And this research further substantiate this.

"The results suggest that NSAIDs can provide superior analgesia for patients with moderate pain after bone surgery, with reduced risk," Dr. Shafer adds...

Ref : Metha Brattwall,  Ibrahim Turan, and Jan Jakobsson, Anesthesia & Analgesia