The analgesic efficacy of oxycodone hydrochloride versus fentanyl during outpatient artificial abortion operation: A randomized trial

BACKGROUND: Problems like body movement, respiratory depression, and complained of pain are still common phenomenon in outpatient artificial abortion general anesthesia. Oxycodone hydrochloride is a semisynthetic opioid and has a good therapeutic effect on visceral pain. We hypothesize that oxycodone hydrochloride would be superior to fentanyl in outpatient artificial abortion surgery. METHODS: In this clinical trial 149 American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) I or II female outpatients scheduled for elective artificial abortion surgeries under general anesthesia were randomly divided into 3 groups: oxycodone hydrochloride 0.06 mg/kg group (group A), oxycodone hydrochloride 0.08 mg/kg group (group B), and control group fentanyl 2 ug/kg (group C). The primary outcome was level body movement and respiratory depression during the surgery, the second outcome included the visual analogue scale (VAS) score 30 minutes after waking. RESULTS: A total of 120 participants completed the study, n = 40 in each group. There was no significant difference in patients’ age, body mass index (BMI), preoperative heart rate, mean arterial blood pressure, consumption dose of propofol, intraoperative body movement type and times, and duration of surgery among the 3 groups (P > .05). Comparing the incidence of intraoperative respiratory depression and SPO2 < 90% among the 3 groups, group C's was significantly higher than those of groups A and B, and the difference was statistically significant (P < .05). Group A had no difference compared with group B. In VAS score 30minutes after waking, group C was the highest, followed by group A, with group B as the lowest. The difference among the 3 groups was statistically significant (P < .05), but a difference delta less than 1 on the VAS scale is not clinically significant. CONCLUSION: The analgesic effect of oxycodone hydrochloride at 0.06 mg/kg applied to painless artificial abortion surgery is not superior than that of fentanyl, but the incidence of intraoperative respiratory depression and hypoxemia is significantly lower than fentanyl.