[Nalbuphine and tramadol for the control of postoperative pain in children]

Abstract

The postoperative treatment of pain in children is often inadequate: Periphal acting analgetics are not sufficient, opioids are believed to be dangerous because of their respiratory depression. Nalbuphine and tramadol are two narcotics with only a few side effects. The aim of this trial was to investigate the efficacy and safety of these drugs in postoperative pain therapy in children aged 1-9 years. 30 children in each group received in a double-blind and randomized manner either 0.15-0.2 mg/kg nalbuphine or 0.75-1.0 mg/kg tramadol im. Pain intensity and sleep-awake behaviour were documented by a visual analogue scale for 24 h. After 1 h 70% of the patients in both groups had no pain and were sleeping. There was no change in heart rate and systolic blood pressure. Only the diastolic blood pressure decreased as did the respiratory rate, while the tcpCO2 estimated in some patients remained constant. Narcotic reinjections were necessary three times in the nalbuphine group and four times in the tramadol group. Typical opioid side effects were found to be equal in both groups.