A Study on Health - Related Quality of Life in Patients With Rheumatic Diseases Taking Tramadol 37.5mg/Acetaminophen 325mg Tablets

Recently the concerns about the Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQOL) have been increasing especially in chronic diseases. Rheumatic disease is a chronic disease, which can result in a functional disability and impaired HRQOL. Because of this chronic pain, patients with rheumatic disease have lower scores on HRQOL than general population. A several studies have indicated Ultracet as an add-on treatment to nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs(NSAIDs) for osteoarthritis(OA) pain, fibromyalgia pain and chronic low back pain significantly improved HRQOL, compared with placebo. We will use the KEQ-5D (a Korean version of the EQ-5D which is a health related quality of life questionnaire) to assess HRQOL. The KEQ-5D has been shown to be effectively sensitive in several rheumatic conditions. The study hypothesis is that the quality of life will be improved after Tramadol 37.5mg/Acetaminophen 325mg tablets administration in outpatients who need Tramadol 37.5mg/Acetaminophen 325mg tablets administration at the investigator's discretion. This is a multicenter, open-label, prospective, observational study to compare HRQOL using Korean version of EQ-5D before and after the treatment with Tramadol 37.5mg/Acetaminophen 325mg tablets and to assess the correlation among each measurement. Observational Study - No investigational drug administered

Inclusion criteria

• Patients with rheumatism who have moderate-to-severe pain
• Patients who have not been administered Ultracet or tramadol over the last one month
• Patients who have signed a consent form indicating that they understand the purpose of and procedures required for the study (For minors between 12 and 20 years old, the patients' legally acceptable representatives' signature is also required.)

Exclusion criteria

• Patients who have experienced failure of tramadol therapy or discontinued Tramadol because of adverse events
• Patients with impaired physical function or disease which may cause drug absorption anomaly, excess storage and metabolic or elimination disorder
• Patients who meet any of the prohibitions of tramadol or acetaminophen
• Hypersensitive to active ingredients of the study drug
• Addicted to drugs acting on central nervous system including alcohol, hypnotics, centrally acting analgesics, opiates and psychotropics, serious respiratory depression (the study drug may cause mild respiratory depression)
• Patients with head injury and brain lesion who have the risk of decreased meantal awareness
• Patients who are taking an MAO inhibitor or discontinued it no more than 2 weeks ago
• Patients with peptic ulcer and severe hematological anomaly
• Patients with severe hepatic impairment, renal impairment or cardiac dysfunction
• Patients with aspirin-induced asthma (asthmatic attacks induced by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug)
• Patients with epilepsy which is not controlled by a drug
• Patients who are pregnant or of childbearing potential during the study