Loading...
Tramadol is a weak short-acting µ-opioid–receptor agonist that many clinicians believe to be safer than other opioids. In fact, the FDA classifies tramadol at a lower level (schedule IV) than opioids such as oxycodone (schedule II). Yet, the safety of tramadol, compared with other opioids, is unclear. In this study of U.S. commercial and Medicare Advantage claims data, researchers determined risk for prolonged opioid use among people who received tramadol or other short-term opioids for acute pain associated with a wide variety of elective surgeries.
Of 445,000 opioid-naive people who underwent surgery, 358,000 filled discharge prescriptions for ≥1 opioids. The most commonly prescribed opioid was hydrocodone (53%), followed by short-acting o…