European Journal of Cardiovascular Medicine

Background: Epidural analgesia is widely regarded as the preferred method for pain management, facilitating early mobilization following orthopedic surgery and promoting enhanced bowel function. Methods: A total of 50 patients were randomly allocated into two groups of equal size, both of which were scheduled to undergo elective lower limb surgery. Group A was administered a dosage of 1 µg/kg of fentanyl, while Group B received a dosage of 1 mg/kg of tramadol. In both cases, the medications were diluted to a volume of 10 ml using 0.9% normal saline. Following the surgical procedure, patients underwent a comprehensive evaluation that included the assessment of various parameters such as the visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain, sedation score, respiratory rate, haemodynamic stability, onset of analgesic effect, quality and duration of pain relief, frequency of epidural doses, and the occurrence of any adverse effects. Results: The mean duration of analgesia onset in group A and group B was found to be 12.47± 2.51 minutes and 6.15±1.75 minutes, respectively (p < 0.001). The mean duration of analgesia in group A was 8.06±1.25 hours, while in group B it was 5.4±0.97 hours (p <0.001). Throughout the study, it was observed that the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) scores were consistently lower in group A. The mean visual analog scale (VAS) score was found to be statistically significant at p < 0.05 up to 24 hours, but at 48 hours, the p-value was greater than 0.05. In Group B, five individuals experienced symptoms of vomiting, while four individuals reported experiencing nausea. In Group A, two individuals reported symptoms of vomiting, two individuals reported experiencing nausea, and four patients experienced episodes of purities. Conclusion: Based on our research, it can be inferred that fentanyl exhibits a prompt onset and superior analgesic efficacy. Additional frequent top-ups were necessary when administering fentanyl