Analgesic effects of lornoxicam after total abdominal hysterectomy

The authors investigated, in a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded study, the efficacy and safety of lornoxicam on pain after abdominal hysterectomy and on tramadol consumption in patients. Fifty patients were randomized to receive either oral placebo or lornoxicam 8 mg one hour before surgery. Anesthesia was induced with propofol and maintained with sevoflurane in 50 percent N2O/O2 with a fresh gas flow of 2 L/min (50 percent N2O in O2) and fentanyl (2 microg/kg). All patients received patient-controlled analgesia with tramadol with loading dose of 50 mg; incremental dose of 20 mg; lock out interval of 10 minute; and four-hour limit 300 mg. The incremental dose was increased to 30 mg if analgesia was inadequate after one hour. Patients were studied at one, two, four, eight, 12, and 24 hours for visual analogue (VAS) pain scores, heart rate, mean arterial pressure, periferic oxygen saturation, sedation, tramadol consumption, and length of hospitalization. VAS scores at one hour were significantly lower in the lornoxicam group (p < 0.001). The tramadol consumption at one, two, four, eight, and 12 hours was significantly lower in the lornoxicam group when compared with the placebo group (p < 0.001, p = 0.008, p = 0.029, p = 0.034, p = 0.042, respectively). Sedation scores were similar at all the measured times in the groups. Length of hospitalization was significantly shorter in lornoxicam group (4.8 +/- 0.4 day) than placebo group (5.2 +/- 0.5 day) (p = 0.005). There was difference in the incidence of nausea between the groups (p = 0.047). The number of patients and the doses of antiemetics given during the first 24 hours after surgery in lornoxicam group were less than those in placebo group (p = 0.003, p = 0.034, respectively). In conclusion, a single oral dose of lornoxicam given preoperatively enhanced the analgesic effect of tramadol, decreasing tramadol consumption and side effects, and shortened the length of hospitalization.