Comparison of efficacy and safety of transdermal buprenorphine patch applied 48 versus 72 hours preoperatively in providing adequate postoperative analgesia following major abdominal surgeries

Abstract

Introduction: A transdermal drug delivery system provides steady and continuous drug delivery. As the onset of action is delayed, it has to be applied preoperatively to provide optimal postoperative analgesia. Aim: To compare the efficacy and safety of transdermal buprenorphine patches applied 48 and 72 h preoperatively in providing adequate postoperative analgesia following major abdominal surgeries and the incidence of side effects. Materials and Methods: This prospective randomized, double-blinded study was conducted in a tertiary care institution. Thirty patients undergoing laparotomy were recruited. Group A (n = 15) received a transdermal buprenorphine 10 mg patch with a delivery rate of 10 μg/h, which was applied approximately 48 h before surgery, whereas in group B (n = 15) buprenorphine 10 mg patch was applied 72 h preoperatively. All patients received general anesthesia following standardized protocol. Postoperative pain was assessed using numerical rating scale (NRS). The Mann–Whitney U test and independent t-test were used for statistical analysis. Results: NRS was significantly high in group A for up to 30 h postoperatively as compared to group B. From 36 to 48 h, it was comparable. The need for rescue analgesia was significantly high in group A as compared to group B. Significant number of patients in group B experienced nausea and vomiting (53.33% vs. 26.67%) and sedation (20% vs. 13.33%) in the preoperative period. Conclusion: Transdermal buprenorphine patch applied 72 h preoperatively provided better analgesia than the one applied 48 h before surgery. However, its preoperative use in patients without painful conditions predisposes them to develop side effects.

Keywords

• Analgesia
• buprenorphine
• postoperative
• sedation
• transdermal