Abstract
Introduction: A thorough understanding of various routes of analgesic administration and their limitations enables pain therapists to effectively manage postoperative pain, reduce the risk of chronic pain development, and enhance patient satisfaction. Considerations such as pain type, patient preferences and medical conditions guide the selection of the most appropriate administration method and dosage form for optimal outcomes. This observational study aimed to investigate the factors associated with the switch of analgesic medication from parenteral to oral in postoperative patients.
Methods: This study was conducted for six months among 305 patients at a tertiary care teaching hospital, Davangere, India. The data about patient was collected through case sheets and was analyzed with IBM SPSS Version 25 for windows.
Results: The study conducted on 305 patients found that the switch was mostly done within the time interval of 2-4 days. The combination of paracetamol and tramadol (22.6%) was the main drug of choice for switch. The switch from parenteral to oral analgesia was not found to be significantly associated with age, severity of pain, or length of hospital stay.
Conclusion: Although switching between parenteral and oral routes of analgesic administration appears to be effective in managing surgical patients, but the decision to switch does not seem to be influenced by the hypothesized factors.