A DOSE FINDING STUDY TO EVALUATE THE DURATION OF POSTOPERATIVE ANALGESIA IN UROLOGICAL SURGICAL PATIENTS, USING DIFFERENT DOSES OF EPIDURAL TRAMADOL

Introduction: Pain control is essential for optimal care of surgical patients. Intravenous drugs need close monitoring and morphine sulphate has serious side effects. Tramadol hydrochloride has been used both intravenously and epidurally and results have been found to be comparable with morphine. Method: Sixty ASA I and II patients scheduled for elective urological surgery were divided into three equal groups in a randomized, double blinded fashion. Group I, II, III received 1, 2 and 3 mg/kg body weight epidural Tramadol respectively. Onset time, duration and side effects of analgesia were studied in all the groups. Result: Duration of pain relief in group I, II, III was 6, 10, 20 hrs respectively which was statistically significant. Incidence of post operative nausea and vomiting was significant in group III compared to other groups. Conclusion: 2 mg/kg body weight epidural Tramadol is optimum dose for postoperative analgesia without significant side effects and in dose 3 mg/kg body weight, can be used with appropriate anti-emetics to reduce the incidence of nausea and vomiting.