A Comparative Study of Oral Tramadol against Oral Ketorolac for the Pain Management in the Dry Socket: A Randomised Clinical Trial

Pain in the dry socket is severe and challenging to manage. The current treatment modalities for pain control are not potent enough to provide relief and pain management remains a problem to be solved. The oral tramadol and ketorolac tablets are both suitable options for pain management in a dry socket. This study aimed to compare the efficacy of oral tramadol with oral ketorolac for pain control in dry socket patients. An open-label, randomized controlled trial was conducted from November 2018 to October 2020 .A total of 50 patients were selected and were divided into two groups 1. Group tramadol (n = 25) in which Tab Tramadol 75mg thrice daily was given and 2. Group Ketorolac (n = 25) Tab ketorolac 10mg thrice daily was used for pain management. The primary objective of the study was the evaluation of the pain scores for six consecutive days by visual analog scale (VAS). Secondary measures included the safety and tolerability of drugs and the amount of rescue analgesic medication. The mean VAS pain scores were less in both groups as compared to baseline data on all follow-up days. The amount of rescue analgesic medication was comparable in both groups. Side effects were seen in both the groups with Nausea (40%), constipation (28%), and Vomiting (32%) more in the Tramadol group and Headache (46%)and GIT upset (28%) more in the ketorolac group. Thus, it would be concluded that both the drugs are potent enough for pain management in dry socket pain and tramadol is a good option for patients having GIT upset with the use of NSAIDs.