ANALGESIA AFTER DAY-CASE LAPAROSCOPIC STERILIZATION - A COMPARISON OFTRAMADOL WITH PARACETAMOL DEXTROPROPOXYPHENE AND PARACETAMOL/CODEINE COMBINATIONS/

In a prospective, double-blind trial we compared the analgesic efficac y of tramadol during the first 24 h after day case laparoscopic steril isation with two commonly prescribed combination analgesics. Seventy-f ive women were allocated randomly to receive oral paracetamol 325 mg/ dextropropoxyphene hydrochloride 32.5 mg, tramadol 50 mg or paracetamo l 500 mg/codeine phosphate 30 mg as required after a standardised anae sthetic technique. There were no significant differences in average or worst pain, sleep disturbance, mobility, number of tablets taken, sat isfaction or preference for stronger analgesia (26.2% of all patients) . The incidences of nausea and vomiting were comparable between groups . There was a trend towards a lower incidence of central nervous syste m side-effects (drowsiness, dizziness, headache) in the paracetamol/co deine group. Tramadol may be considered an alternative analgesic for d ay case surgery although analgesic regimens of greater efficacy are re quired for many patients. The relative incidence of side-effects for t ramadol and other analgesics requires further evaluation.