[Patient-controlled analgesia with tramadol and tramadol/droperidol mixture after abdominal hysterectomy: a...

To compare the clinical efficacy and side effects of tramadol and the mixture of tramadol and droperidol for postoperative patient-controlled analgesia (PCA).

Sixty female patients, aged 18 - 65, scheduled for elective abdominal total hysterectomy with inhalational general anesthesia (induced with fentanyl and propofol, maintained with O(2)-N(2)O and enflurane or isoflurane supplemented by intermittent iv fentanyl and vercuronium for muscle relaxation) were allocated into 2 groups of 30 patients in a random and double blind manner: group 1 (20 mg tramadol) and group 2 (20 mg tramadol plus 0.1 mg droperidol), both with a lockout time of 10 minutes. The VAS, analgesic doses, and side effects were observed 4, 8, 12, 20, 28, and 36 hours after operation respectively.

Adequate analgesia was achieved with tramadol or the mixture of tramadol and droperidol. The nausea rates and vomiting rates at any time point in the group 2 were all significantly lower than those in the group 1 (all P < 0.05). Ten patients in the group 1 needed treatment of metoclopramide, and none of patients in the group 2 needed antiemetic (P < 0.01). No significant differences were observed in VAS, sedation score or vital signs (all P > 0.05).

Providing a similar quality of analgesia with less nausea and vomiting as well as little need for sedative, the combination of tramadol and droperidol is superior to tramadol alone for post-operative PCA.