Opioid-related adverse events of intravenous oxycodone and morphine following total hip arthroplasty compared

Intravenous (IV) oxycodone did not significantly lessen opioid-related adverse events (ORAES) within initial 24 hours of total hip arthroplasty than IV morphine, as interpreted from the outcomes of a randomized controlled trial in ‘Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica’ journal.

This study compared ORAES concerning intravenous oxycodone and morphine following total hip arthroplasty.

The registered patients scheduled for total hip arthroplasty had postoperative pain treatment via IV oxycodone or IV morphine (ratio 1:1). Patients received similar drug treatments for titration in the postoperative care unit (PACU) followed by IV patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) following the surgery.

Patients with more than equal to 1 ORAEs in first 24 hours classified as either vomiting, nausea, respiratory depression, allergy, pruritus, urinary retention needing withdrawal, hallucinations were regarded as the primary outcome. Pain scores and opioid usage were regarded as secondary outcomes.

Out of a total of 238 patients, 55 patients had a minimum of 1 ORAEs in the oxycodone group as opposed to 46 in the morphine group: 48% versus 40%. IV oxycodone versus IV morphine requirements were respectively (median, interquartile range [IQR]): 6 (0-11) versus 8 (0-12) mg for titration; 15 (8-26) versus 8 (5-16) mg for PCA; and 22 (12-37) mg versus 19 (11-28) mg for cumulated IV consumption as in following table.

No difference in secondary outcomes during the first 24 hours concerning nausea, vomiting, urinary retention or pain scores was found.