Comparative Trials
Tramadol versus Morphine
In a comparative double-blind study involving twenty-five patients suffering from severe to chronic pancreatitis, either drug was titrated and the gut motor function was monitored over a five-day period. Compensating for the subjective nature of pain measurement, the statistical results show that, while both drugs were effective in giving pain relief, there was a positive preference for Tramadol. Further, bowel action slowed with the use of morphine but overall gut action was unaffected by Tramadol. Read more
Tramadol versus Oxycodone
In a double-blind study carried out in Helsinki, thirty-six patients who had minor surgery requiring a general anaesthetic were randomly allocated Tramadol, Oxycodone or a placebo as a part of their post-surgery recovery regime. The study tested the hypothesis that either drug was associated with a decrease in breathing efficiency. Whereas Oxycodone was found to produce respiratory depression, Tramadol and the placebo had no measurable effect on the breathing function. Read more
Tramadol versus Codeine
In a comparative double-blind study involving 462 patients in their late 50s who were suffering from lower back pain associated with osteoarthritis, patients were asked to rate the effectiveness of the tablets they were given over a four-week period. Allowing for the subjective nature of pain measurement, the statistical results show that Tramadol was consistently rated as more effective than codeine with a reduced need to seek rescue relief from other medications or treatments. Read more
Tramadol versus Buprenorphine
In a study involving sixty patients aged about 60 years, all having tumours, the patients were subjected to a crossover trial, randomly switching between the two drugs with a 24-hour gap between each new therapy in a weekly cycle. The performance of the drugs was monitored both through a diary of impressions and a record of their sleep patterns. The Karnofsky Performance Scale Index was used to classify the degree of each patient's functional impairment before and during a four hour period surrounding each dose. The conclusions were that although the Karnofsky scores did not materially alter, all the other measures showed that both drugs were effective for pain management and that the patients' quality of life improved - in no small way due to the improvement in the quality of sleep. The conclusion was that despite the general satisfaction in the performance of both drugs, the patients preferred Tramadol as having fewer side-effects. Read more
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