Comparison of Intravenous Nefopam and Tramadol for Postoperative Analgesia in Adult Patients Scheduled for Laparoscopic Abdominal Surgeries under General Anesthesia: A Prospective, Randomized, Double-Blind Study

Abstract

Background and Aims: Nefopam and tramadol have been used for postoperative analgesia in the various clinical settings. This study aims to evaluate and compare the postoperative analgesic effects of intravenous nefopam and tramadol in adult patients undergoing laparoscopic abdominal surgeries. Materials and Methods: One hundred and twenty-six adult patients of the American Society of Anesthesiologists physical Status I and II, age group of 20–60 years undergoing elective or emergency laparoscopic abdominal surgeries under general anesthesia were allocated randomly into two groups. In the postanesthesia care unit, patients in Group A (n = 63) and Group B (n = 63) received Nefopam 20 mg and Tramadol 100 mg, respectively, as intravenous infusion in 100 ml 0.9% saline over 15 min. The same doses were repeated every 6th hour or if the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) score was ≥4. Postoperative VAS scores were recorded at 30 min, 1.5 h, 3 h, 6 h, 12 h, 18 h, and 24 h. The hemodynamic parameters were recorded just before and after the completion of the infusion of study drugs. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The pain score was significantly lower in Group A (Nefopam) than in Group B (Tramadol). The difference in mean VAS scores between the two groups was statistically significant at 1.5 h, 3 h, 6 h, 12 h, 18 h, and 24 h after postoperatively (P < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of side effects in both groups. Conclusion: Intravenous nefopam provided better postoperative pain relief than Tramadol in patients undergoing laparoscopic surgeries under general anaesthesia.