Nalbuphine versus diamorphine early in the course of suspected myocardial infarction

One hundred and seventy-six consecutive patients with moderate or severe pain of suspected myocardial infarction were randomized to receive nalbuphine ≥ 20 mg or diamorphine ≥ 5 mg intravenously with metoclopramide 10 mg and were observed over 2 hours. One hundred and forty-two patients (81%) received the test drug outside hospital. The median time from symptom onset to treatment was 135 minutes for the nalbuphine group and 125 minutes for the diamorphine group. Satisfactory pain relief (grade 0 or 1) was similar for both groups at each time assessment. In particular, within 10 minutes of the drug‘s administration 77% of those receiving nalbuphine and 68% who received diamorphine had satisfactory pain relief. The number of doses of each drug, the number of patients withdrawn from the trial because of unsatisfactory pain relief or recurrence of chest pain were similar for both groups. For those with myocardial infarction there was similar satisfactory pain relief with nalbuphine as diamorphine. No significant deleterious haemodynamic effects or other sideeffects occurred. The noncontrolled classification and low addiction potential of nalbuphine allow for its more widespread use in the control of pain of suspected myocardial infarction.