1. Tramadol, an alternative to morphine for treating posttraumatic pain in the prehospital situation.
- Author
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Vergnion M, Degesves S, Garcet L, and Magotteaux V
- Subjects
- Adult, Analgesics, Opioid adverse effects, Double-Blind Method, Emergency Medical Services, Female, Glasgow Coma Scale, Humans, Male, Morphine adverse effects, Musculoskeletal System injuries, Pain etiology, Pain Measurement drug effects, Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting epidemiology, Tramadol adverse effects, Analgesics, Opioid therapeutic use, Morphine therapeutic use, Pain drug therapy, Tramadol therapeutic use, Wounds and Injuries complications
- Abstract
In this randomized, double-blinded, parallel-group study, we compared the efficacy of tramadol and morphine administered IV for the management of pain in trauma patients in the prehospital situation. One-hundred-five patients were randomly allocated to receive tramadol (Group T) or morphine (Group M). The initial dose was 100 mg tramadol in Group T and 5 mg morphine (body weight < or = 70 kg) or 10 mg morphine (body weight >70 kg) in Group M; this could be increased to 200 mg in Group T and 15 or 20 mg in Group M if necessary. Pain intensity was assessed with four-point verbal rating scales. Sedation, physiologic data, and adverse events were also recorded. Analgesia was similar in both groups; the 95% confidence interval for the difference between the decrease in pain intensity observed with tramadol or morphine was -0.26 to 0.30, which was within the predefined equivalence range (-0.50 to 0.50). Neither sedation scores nor physiologic data differed between groups. Tramadol is an acceptable alternative to morphine in the prehospital trauma setting.
- Published
- 2001
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