Tramadol and beta-cyclodextrin piroxicam†‡Effective multimodal balanced analgesia for the intra-and postoperative period

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to evaluate the analgesic efficacy of tramadol, an analgesic with both opioid and nonopioid actions (norepinephrine and serotonin pathways), with beta-cyclodextrin piroxicam, a nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug, in the perioperative setting. METHODS: The study population consisted of 48 patients scheduled for minor abdominal procedures, who were assigned to one of four groups of 12 patients each. The premedication was either a placebo tablet or a 192.1-mg beta-cyclodextrin piroxicam tablet, administered orally 30-40 minutes before anesthesia induction. After intravenous administration of tramadol 1.5 mg/kg, anesthesia was induced with an intravenous loading dose of propofol. Anesthesia was maintained an intravenous infusion of propofol at 6-12 mg/kg/h plus either saline or tramadol at 1.2 mg/kg/h, atracurium, and a 2:1 nitrous oxide-oxygen mixture. The control group received a placebo tablet and an infusion of saline with propofol for anesthesia maintenance; the tramadol group received a placebo tablet and a continuous tramadol-propofol infusion; the beta-cyclodextrin piroxicam (BCP) group received a BCP tablet and a continuous saline-propofol infusion; and the beta-cyclodextrin piroxicam-tramadol (BCPT) group received beta-cyclodextrin piroxicam and a continuous tramadol-propofol infusion. RESULTS: The relative propofol consumption by the four groups was control = BCP (P > .05) >tramadol (P < .001) > B-CPT (P < .0002). The time for analgesic rescue decreased in the order BCPT > BCP (P < .0002) = tramadol > control (P < .001). The degree of sedation and the visual analog scores 10-cm scale at the time patients requested rescue analgesics were similar among the groups (P > .05). CONCLUSIONS: The combination of tramadol and beta-cyclodextrin piroxicam provided better perioperative analgesia than tramadol alone.