Comparison of lornoxicam versus tramadol analgesia for transrectal prostate biopsy: a randomized prospective study

Introduction We compared the efficacy of lornoxicam and tramadol to provide analgesia and comfort during transrectal ultrasound-guided biopsy of the prostate (TRUSP) as a noninvasive method. Materials and methods A total of 62 men undergoing TRUSP were enrolled in this study. Patients were randomized to three groups. Group 1 (n = 21) received 8 mg of lornoxicam, group 2 (n = 21) received 100 mg of tramadol, and group 3 (n = 20) received saline as a control. The drugs were given intramuscularly half an hour prior to the procedure. All patients were asked to indicate the level of pain experienced after the procedure by visual analog score (VAS), and the patient’s comfort level was scored by a comfort score. Additionally, the patients were asked if they were willing to undergo a future TRUSP. Results The data obtained revealed that both experimental groups receiving lornoxicam and tramadol had lower VAS scores compared to the control group (3.4 and 2.4 vs. 6.4, respectively; P < 0.0001). There were also significant differences in VAS scores between group 1 and group 2 (P = 0.027). There was a significant difference in the comfort score between the drug groups and control (P > 0.0001) and between the lornoxicam and tramadol group (P < 0.05). Pain and discomfort were least in the tramadol group. The percentage of patients who would not consent to future TRUSP was lower in the drug groups compared to control (P < 0.0001). But there were not any differences between the drug groups. Conclusions The use of lornoxicam or tramadol for pain relief in TRUSP is a practical, effective and comfortable method compared to the results of the control group. In addition, tramadol was found to be more effective than lornoxicam.