A randomized double blinded study comparing the postoperative analgesic effects of butorphanol, parecoxib and tramadol in patients undergoing major surgical procedures

Post-operative pain is an acute pain which starts with the surgical trauma and usually ends with tissue healing. Our study was done to evaluate and compare the postoperative analgesic effect of Butorphanol, Parecoxib and Tramadol in patients undergoing major surgical procedures. Randomized double blinded study. Sixty patients of ASA I and II grades of the age group 20 to 50 years, undergoing major surgeries were included in the study. They were divided into three groups with 20 patients each. Group P-Parecoxib, Group B-Butorphanol group, and Group T –Tramadol group. Pain intensity score, pain relief score, sedation score, rescue analgesia and adverse events were noted. Hemodynamic parameters, respiratory rate and saturation were also recorded at regular intervals. The parameters observed were compared by ANOVA test. There was significant decrease in pain intensity scores from 10 minutes onwards which was observed in all the three groups but this decrease was more in Butorphanol group. In our study, higher sedation score was observed for Butorphanol group. Adverse effects like nausea, vomiting were more with tramadol group. Higher doses of rescue analgesia was required in Parecoxib group. Thus Butorphanol is a superior analgesic compared to tramadol and parecoxib, while side effects like nausea, vomiting was more in tramadol group.