ABSTRACT
Background: In a climate of economic uncertainty, cost effectiveness analysis is a potentially important tool for making choices about health care interventions. Patients with knee osteoarthritis are treated mostly with Diclofenac (NSAID) + Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPI) and Tramadol (Opioids) in everyday practice.Aim: Present study was aimed to assess clinical effectiveness, adverse events and cost-effectiveness between Diclofenac + PPI and Tramadol.Methods: Authors conducted prospective randomised control open label study on 40 patients at Orthopedic OPD of tertiary care hospital. Patients were given either Tramadol controlled releases tablets (200mg CR OD) or Diclofenac sustained release tablets (100mg SR OD) + PPI (Omeprazole 20mg OD) for two weeks. Clinical effectiveness was assessed by KOOS osteoarthritis index score consisting of five parameters and visual analogue scale. Suspected ADRs were recorded and incremental cost effective ratio for both drugs was calculated.Results: After application of KOOS questionnaire Authors found net quality gain in symptoms was 24.45 in diclofenac +PPI group which was much higher against 14.15 found in tramadol group. Again ADR profile of tramadol was 29 with nausea and somnolence topping the list which was far more than only 10 in DIC +PPI group. Lastly cost-effective analysis was done where again DIC+PPI showed average cost effective ratio 5.73 verses tramadol 11.8 with an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of -2.72.Conclusions: Diclofenac +PPI is as effective as tramadol in the treatment of pain due to knee osteoarthritis with the potential for feAuthorsr side effects. Diclofenac + PPI was also found to be cost-effective when compared with tramado.