Difference Between Vicodin and Percocet

There are different theories when it comes to pain. When it comes to pain management, doctors and nurses virtually do a number of things just for their patients to feel comfortable during admission, during procedures or even during assessment. The good thing nowadays is the fact that there are a variety of pharmaceutical products that stop the pain. Though there is a number of pain medications openly sold on the market, doctors and nurses are also aware that medications should always come second to natural means of alleviating pain. This is the use of pain scale assessments.

If the medical team is faced with a pediatric patient who still couldn’t count or who doesn’t know the difference of 1 from 2, most often a visual type of pain scale is given to these types of patients. It is always important to assess the level of pain in order to know whether or not to recommend the pharmaceutical means of relieving it.

Once the level of pain is determined, the doctors will still need to make the decision whether or not to give pain medications that are strong or those that are only mild. If you simply have a headache that is ranging from 3-4, chances are, doctors won’t be giving medications like morphine! Of course, doctors would go for conservative measures than drastic steps in treating pain.

Two of the most popular drugs nowadays are Vicodin and Percocet. Both being narcotic analgesics to provide pain relief, these medicines also have their differences. Considered to be narcotic analgesics, both of these drugs have their addicting potentials and must only be prescribed by MDs. Both of these drugs are used for the management of post operative pain, something that is expected once anesthesia wears off from the procedure.

Narcotic analgesics however can’t be given to a pregnant woman who is about to give birth for the reason that the baby will experience respiratory depressions and also there is a risk that the child will be substance-dependent in the future.

The main differences between Vicodin and Percocet are its components. For Vicodin, it is composed mainly of paracetamol and hydrocodone while Percocet contains a more powerful composition in oxycodone. This is the main reason why Vicodin is only categorized as class 3 while Percocet is considered class 2 in the list of narcotic medications. This simply means that the next good thing that comes after morphine would have to be Percocet, which has less addictive potentials but is stronger than Vicodin.

Looking at these two drugs, there will be a number of concerns especially if you are to take these drugs in a regular manner. The number one thing that needs to be considered would have to be substance dependence. If, in case the patient is pregnant, these types of drugs shouldn’t be given because it could lead to respiratory depressions in the baby and eventually respiratory arrest if it goes uncontrolled.

1. There are a number of things that doctors and nurses do to control pain.
2. Vicodin and Percocet are both narcotic analgesics used for pain management specifically for post operative pain management.
3. Vicodin is mainly composed of hydrocodone while Percocet is composed of oxycodone.
4. Vicodin is the weaker narcotic among the two while Percocet is considered class 2 narcotic.
5. Both can never be given to a mother about to go into labor mainly because it could cause respiratory depressions.