Affiliation:
1. Barmherzige Brüder Hospital Triester Strasse 50 A‐1100 Vienna Austria
2. Hafslund Nycomed Pharma AG Triester Strasse 50 A‐1100 Vienna Austria
Abstract
SUMMARY This 24‐hour, randomised, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled study compared the efficacy and tolerability of intravenous injections of lornoxicam 4mg and 8mg with tramadol 50mg in 78 female patients aged 20‐65 years with moderate to intolerable postoperative pain following mainly hysterectomy. Patients who received lornoxicam 8mg had a significantly (p<0.05) longer time to first remedication than placebo recipients and tended to have a greater reduction in pain intensity and a longer time to withdrawal due to ‘non‐response’ than tramadol and placebo patients. Lornoxicam was well tolerated at both doses and was associated with a lower incidence of adverse events than tramadol. Thus, intravenous lornoxicam at a dose of 8mg is superior to placebo and at least as effective as intravenous tramadol 50mg in relieving moderate to intolerable post‐hysterectomy pain. Furthermore, lornoxicam seems to possess a more favourable tolerability profile than tramadol.