Saleem Sabbar, Fawad Ahmed Khan, Javed Ahmad.
Comparison of lumbar epidural bupivacaine with and without tramadol for postoperative analgesia in lower abdominal surgeries.
Pak J Surg Jan ;26(1):75-9.

Objective: Th e aim of the study was to compare the postoperative analgesic effi cacy of lumbar epidural bupivacaine with and without tramadol for postoperative analgesia in lower abdominal surgeries. Study design: Quasi experimental Place and duration of surgery: Th is study was conducted at Anaesthesia Department of Lyari General Hospital Karachi over a period of 12 months from October 2008 to October 2009. Patients and methods: In this study, sixty patients were equally divided into two groups. Group I (n=30) received 0.5 % bupivacaine 20 ml epidurally and group II (n=30) received 0.5 % bupivacaine 20 ml and inj tramadol 1.5 mg/kg epidurally. Th ere was no signifi cant diff erence in age, weight and sex of the patients. Data from the patients was recorded on a proforma. Th e comparison was made between group I and group II. Analgesic effi cacy of group I and II was determined by visual analogue scale (VAS) on arrival and then 2 hourly for 12 hours and then 4 hourly. Result: Out of 60 patients there were 38 males and 22 females with male to female ratio of 1.72: 1. Th e mean age of the patients in group I was 45.07±10.04 while in group II it was 47.25±8.7. Th e mean weight of the patients in group I was 61.31±9.90 while in group II it was 63.78± 8.9. Th e duration of postoperative analgesia in group I was 3.8±0.28 and in group II it was 7.60±0.31. Conclusion: Addition of tramadol 1.5 mg/kg to 0.5 % bupivaciane, given epidurally, produces prolonged postoperative analgesia as compared to bupivacaine alone in patients undergoing lower abdominal surgeries.

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