Management
In a randomized controlled trial [PMID:37276052], subcutaneous tramadol (50 mg) demonstrated comparable pain reduction at 30 minutes compared to intravenous tramadol in adult patients with moderate pain (VAS 4-6) due to extremity injuries.
The study [PMID:37276052] highlights that subcutaneous tramadol not only matches the efficacy of intravenous tramadol but also potentially simplifies administration and reduces complications associated with intravenous access in emergency department settings.
Complications
Although not directly measured in this study [PMID:37276052], subcutaneous tramadol administration was proposed to potentially reduce respiratory and gastrointestinal adverse effects, which are more commonly associated with intravenous routes.
References
1 Bustam A, Poh K, Zambri A, Mohd Nazri MZA, Subramaniam T, Abdullah AA et al.. Subcutaneous versus intravenous tramadol for extremity injury with moderate pain in the emergency department: a randomised controlled noninferiority trial. European journal of emergency medicine : official journal of the European Society for Emergency Medicine 2023. link
1 papers cited of 3 indexed.