Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether or not the combination of tilidin and tilidin retard as oral patient-controlled analgesia provide a suitable pain management in patients after uncomplicated myocardial revascularization.
Methods: We conducted a randomised phase IV study to evaluate the effectiveness of postoperative analgesia with tilidin and tilidin retard. Patients with a baseline tilidin retard and tilidin liquid demand medication (group B, 42 patients) were compared with a base line paracetamol and tramadol-HCl liquid demand medication (group A, 44 patients). All patients received the first dose of study medication at the second postoperative day after evaluation of the individual pain score using NRS (numeric rating scale).
Results: Pain relief in group B was significantly better only at the second postoperative day (NRS 1,8 compared to 3,3 in group A), associated with tolerable side effects and comfortable handling.
Conclusion: The combination of sustained release with immediate release drugs as a patient controlled analgesia provides suitable and comfortable analgesia after myocardial bypass surgery.