Bone Fracture: Drug Therapy

Therapeutic Targets

  • Pain relief
  • Avoidance of complications
  • Fracture healing

Therapy recommendations

  • Wg. fracture pain: analgesia (pain relief) according to WHO staging scheme.
    • Non-opioid analgesic (paracetamol, first-line agent; ibuprofen, is equivalent in effect to morphine (opioids) in children).
    • Low-potency opioid analgesic (eg, tramadol) + non-opioid analgesic.
    • High-potency opioid analgesic (eg, morphine) + non-opioid analgesic.
  • Antibiosis (antibiotic therapy) – infection prophylaxis in open fractures.
  • Tetanus prophylaxis – in open fractures / injuries.
  • Osteoporotic fractures: in elderly patients, specific osteoporosis therapy should usually be initiated (see below Osteoporosis/Medicinal Therapy).
  • See also under “Further therapy“.