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Pharmacokinetics of rectal tramadol in postoperative paediatric patients

J Zwaveling1, S Bubbers, A H J van Meurs

  • 1Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Toxicology of the Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands. j.zwaveling@lumc.nl

British Journal of Anaesthesia
|June 1, 2004
PubMed

Insights

Rectal tramadol (a pain reliever) is absorbed well in young children with low variability. A dose of 1.5-2.0 mg/kg is suggested for effective postoperative pain management in pediatric patients.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Pharmacology
  • Pain Management
  • Pharmacokinetics

Background:

  • Postoperative pain management in children is a critical area for improving patient outcomes.
  • Tramadol is a potential option for pediatric analgesia, but its rectal administration pharmacokinetics require investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the pharmacokinetics of rectal tramadol and its active metabolite in young children.
  • To develop a population pharmacokinetic model for rectal tramadol in pediatric patients.

Main Methods:

  • Pharmacokinetic analysis of rectal tramadol and its metabolite in 12 children (aged 1-6 years) postoperatively.
  • Construction of a population pharmacokinetic model to simulate different dosage regimens.

Main Results:

  • Rectal tramadol pharmacokinetics were adequately described by a one-compartment model.
  • Low inter-individual variability was observed in pharmacokinetic parameters.
  • Elimination half-life was 4.3 ± 0.2 hours and apparent clearance was 16.4 ± 1.5 L/h.

Conclusions:

  • Rectal administration of tramadol results in reasonable absorption and low variability in pediatric patients.
  • A rectal dose of 1.5-2.0 mg/kg of tramadol is suggested to be therapeutic for postoperative analgesia in children.
Abstract

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