Place and role of the tramadol/paracetamol combination in the treatment of cancer pain
Keywords:
pain, fixed combinations, Tramadol/Paracetamol, drug utilizationAbstract
Pain is defined as an unpleasant sensory and/or emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage. It is a subjective sensation influenced by physical, mental, social and spiritual factors. Despite the serious consequences for the individual patient, it is often considered a normal condition and is often allowed to become chronic. Aim of this study is to analyze the place and role of the combined drug product Tramadol/Paracetamol in the treatment of cancer pain regardless of the systemic-organ localization of the tumor process by using the measures of drug use, in accordance with WHO standards. Materials and methods: We analyzed the therapeutic indications, pharmacological data and data on adverse drug reactions. We calculated drug usability by analyzing data from the public registers of the National Council for Prices and Reimbursement (NCPR) and the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF). The analyses were conducted for the period 2016-2023. Discussion and conclusion: The efficacy and safety of the fixed combination of tramadol and acetaminophen in the treatment of moderate to severe pain has significant analgesic efficacy with a reduction in average pain intensity, with 64.8% of patients describing significant pain relief.
Our study shows that in Bulgarian conditions there is a significant use of the Tramadol/Paracetamol combination in terms of number of packages, with no excess of the daily therapeutic dose and no data on an increase in the frequency of adverse drug reactions. There is a uniform drug consumption over the years, without exceeding the DDD of Tramadol. The fixed combination Tramadol/Paracetamol can be used as an effective combination in the treatment of chronic oncological pain, with strict adherence to the therapeutic indications and dosage regimen, proper dose titration with a low incidence of adverse drug reactions.
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