Analgesic efficacy of tramadol and butorphanol in mandibular third molar surgery: a comparative study

Butorphanol tartrate, a mixed synthetic agonistantagonist opioid analgesic has been used for management of postoperative pain in minor and major surgical procedures.(14,20) Tramadol hydrochloride is a centrally acting opioid which is effectively used in postoperative pain in various minor and major surgeries.

Twenty subjects selected randomly received butorphanol tartrate 1 mg intramuscular and 20 subjects received tramadol hydrochloride 50 mg intramuscular after the removal of mandibular third molars. Time of injection, amount of anesthetic injected, duration of surgery, adverse effects were recorded.(21)

The mean amount of LA administered in butorphanol group was 2.6450 ml and in tramadol group was 2.640 ml respectively, the mean duration for surgery was 56.75 and 53.5 minutes for butorphanol and tramadol groups respectively which was statistically not significant. Pain assessment was done with VAS which showed mean of 19.2 and 15.5 mm (p = 0.001) which was significant for butorphanol and tramadol respectively after 12 hours. The mean time for rescue medication requirement was 5.9 hours (for tramadol) and 8.4 hours (for butorphanol). Effective analgesic activity was seen by butorphanol 1 mg intramuscular then tramadol 50 mg.

Butorphanol 1 mg was more effective than tramadol 50 mg in respect to postoperative analgesia.