An open-label randomised controlled trial on the efficacy of adding intranasal fentanyl to intravenous tramadol in patients with moderate to severe pain following acute musculoskeletal injuries
INTRODUCTION The use of intranasal fentanyl as an alternative type of analgesia has been shown to be effective in paediatric populations and prehospital settings. There are a limited number of studies on the use of intranasal fentanyl in adult patients in emergency settings. METHODS An open-l...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Singapore Medical Association (SMA)
2017
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| Online Access: | http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/19124/ http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/19124/1/SMJ-58-601%20%28abstrak%29.pdf |
| _version_ | 1848838645916631040 |
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| author | Keng, Sheng Chew Abdul Hafiz, Shaharudin |
| author_facet | Keng, Sheng Chew Abdul Hafiz, Shaharudin |
| author_sort | Keng, Sheng Chew |
| building | UNIMAS Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | INTRODUCTION
The use of intranasal fentanyl as an alternative type of analgesia has been shown to be effective in paediatric populations and prehospital settings. There are a limited number of studies on the use of intranasal fentanyl in adult patients in emergency settings.
METHODS
An open-label study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the addition of 1.5 mcg/kg intranasal fentanyl to 2 mg/kg intravenous tramadol (fentanyl + tramadol arm, n = 10) as compared to the administration of 2 mg/kg intravenous tramadol alone (tramadol-only arm, n = 10) in adult patients with moderate to severe pain due to acute musculoskeletal injuries.
RESULTS
When analysed using the independent t-test, the difference between the mean visual analogue scale scores pre-intervention and ten minutes post-intervention was 29.8 ± 8.4 mm in the fentanyl + tramadol arm and 19.6 ± 9.7 mm in the tramadol-only arm (t[18] = 2.515, p = 0.022, 95% confidence interval 1.68–18.72 mm). A statistically significant, albeit transient, reduction in the ten-minute post-intervention mean arterial pressure was noted in the fentanyl + tramadol arm as compared to the tramadol-only arm (13.35 mmHg vs. 7.65 mmHg; using Mann-Whitney U test with U-value 21.5, p = 0.029, r = 0.48). There was a higher incidence of transient dizziness ten minutes after intervention among the patients in the fentanyl + tramadol arm.
CONCLUSION
Although effective, intranasal fentanyl may not be appropriate for routine use in adult patients, as it could result in a significant reduction in blood pressure.
Keywords: fentanyl, intranasal drug administration, tramadol |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-15T06:58:51Z |
| format | Article |
| id | unimas-19124 |
| institution | Universiti Malaysia Sarawak |
| institution_category | Local University |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-15T06:58:51Z |
| publishDate | 2017 |
| publisher | Singapore Medical Association (SMA) |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | unimas-191242018-01-22T07:39:41Z http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/19124/ An open-label randomised controlled trial on the efficacy of adding intranasal fentanyl to intravenous tramadol in patients with moderate to severe pain following acute musculoskeletal injuries Keng, Sheng Chew Abdul Hafiz, Shaharudin R Medicine (General) RM Therapeutics. Pharmacology INTRODUCTION The use of intranasal fentanyl as an alternative type of analgesia has been shown to be effective in paediatric populations and prehospital settings. There are a limited number of studies on the use of intranasal fentanyl in adult patients in emergency settings. METHODS An open-label study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the addition of 1.5 mcg/kg intranasal fentanyl to 2 mg/kg intravenous tramadol (fentanyl + tramadol arm, n = 10) as compared to the administration of 2 mg/kg intravenous tramadol alone (tramadol-only arm, n = 10) in adult patients with moderate to severe pain due to acute musculoskeletal injuries. RESULTS When analysed using the independent t-test, the difference between the mean visual analogue scale scores pre-intervention and ten minutes post-intervention was 29.8 ± 8.4 mm in the fentanyl + tramadol arm and 19.6 ± 9.7 mm in the tramadol-only arm (t[18] = 2.515, p = 0.022, 95% confidence interval 1.68–18.72 mm). A statistically significant, albeit transient, reduction in the ten-minute post-intervention mean arterial pressure was noted in the fentanyl + tramadol arm as compared to the tramadol-only arm (13.35 mmHg vs. 7.65 mmHg; using Mann-Whitney U test with U-value 21.5, p = 0.029, r = 0.48). There was a higher incidence of transient dizziness ten minutes after intervention among the patients in the fentanyl + tramadol arm. CONCLUSION Although effective, intranasal fentanyl may not be appropriate for routine use in adult patients, as it could result in a significant reduction in blood pressure. Keywords: fentanyl, intranasal drug administration, tramadol Singapore Medical Association (SMA) 2017-10 Article PeerReviewed text en http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/19124/1/SMJ-58-601%20%28abstrak%29.pdf Keng, Sheng Chew and Abdul Hafiz, Shaharudin (2017) An open-label randomised controlled trial on the efficacy of adding intranasal fentanyl to intravenous tramadol in patients with moderate to severe pain following acute musculoskeletal injuries. Singapore Medical Journal, 58 (10). pp. 601-605. ISSN 0037-5675 http://www.smj.org.sg |
| spellingShingle | R Medicine (General) RM Therapeutics. Pharmacology Keng, Sheng Chew Abdul Hafiz, Shaharudin An open-label randomised controlled trial on the efficacy of adding intranasal fentanyl to intravenous tramadol in patients with moderate to severe pain following acute musculoskeletal injuries |
| title | An open-label randomised controlled trial on the efficacy of adding intranasal fentanyl to intravenous tramadol in patients with moderate to severe pain following acute musculoskeletal injuries |
| title_full | An open-label randomised controlled trial on the efficacy of adding intranasal fentanyl to intravenous tramadol in patients with moderate to severe pain following acute musculoskeletal injuries |
| title_fullStr | An open-label randomised controlled trial on the efficacy of adding intranasal fentanyl to intravenous tramadol in patients with moderate to severe pain following acute musculoskeletal injuries |
| title_full_unstemmed | An open-label randomised controlled trial on the efficacy of adding intranasal fentanyl to intravenous tramadol in patients with moderate to severe pain following acute musculoskeletal injuries |
| title_short | An open-label randomised controlled trial on the efficacy of adding intranasal fentanyl to intravenous tramadol in patients with moderate to severe pain following acute musculoskeletal injuries |
| title_sort | open-label randomised controlled trial on the efficacy of adding intranasal fentanyl to intravenous tramadol in patients with moderate to severe pain following acute musculoskeletal injuries |
| topic | R Medicine (General) RM Therapeutics. Pharmacology |
| url | http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/19124/ http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/19124/ http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/19124/1/SMJ-58-601%20%28abstrak%29.pdf |