A single subcutaneous dose of tramadol for mild to moderate musculoskeletal trauma in the emergency department.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Mild to moderate musculoskeletal trauma is a common cause for an emergency room visit, and frequent pain is one of the cardinal symptoms of consultation. The objective of this study is to assess the perception of a single subcutaneous dose of 50 mg tramadol for pain management in patients with mild to moderate musculoskeletal trauma, likewise to appraise the perception of pain by subcutaneous injection.

METHODS:

A total of 77 patients, who met inclusion criteria, received a single subcutaneous dose of tramadol. Pain control was evaluated based on the verbal numerical pain scale (0-10) at baseline, 20 and 60 minutes; similarly, pain perception was evaluated secondary to subcutaneous injection of the analgesic.

RESULTS:

On admission, the average pain perceived by patients was 8; twenty minutes later, 89% of the patients reported five or less, and after sixty minutes, 94% had three or less on the verbal numerical pain scale. Of the patients, 88% reported pain perception by verbal numeric scale of 3 or less by injection of the drug, and 6.5% required a second analgesic for pain control. Two events with drug administration (soft tissue infection and mild abdominal rectus injection) were reported.

CONCLUSION:

We conclude that a single subcutaneous dose of tramadol is a safe and effective option for the management of patients with mild to moderate pain and musculoskeletal disease in the emergency department.

• Authors: Alejandro Cardozo, Carlos Silva, Luis Dominguez, Beatriz Botero, Paulo Zambrano, Jose Bareno
• Journal: World journal of emergency medicine (World J Emerg Med) Vol. 5 Issue 4 Pg. 275-8 ( 2014) ISSN: 1920-8642 [Print] China
• PMID: 25548601 (Publication Type: Journal Article)