The morphine sparing effect of ketorolac tromethamine

A randomised, double-blind study of patients after upper abdominal surgery was undertaken to assess the analgesic efficacy of ketorolac tromethamine, a new, parenteral non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agent. Postoperatively, patients received a 24-hour intramuscular infusion of either saline (n = 20), ketorolac 1.5 mg/hour (n = 21) or ketorolac 3.0 mg/hour (n = 20). Cumulative morphine requirements were measured using a patient-controlled analgesia system which delivered intravenous increments of morphine on demand. Pain was assessed by visual analogue scores. Arterial blood gas analyses were performed pre-operatively and on the first postoperative day. Patients who received low and high dose ketorolac infusions required less morphine than the control group (p less than 0.05 and p = 0.06, respectively). This was associated with significantly lower pain scores. Patients who received the higher ketorolac dose had significantly less postoperative increase in arterial carbon dioxide tensions than controls. This study suggests that ketorolac tromethamine is a useful analgesic drug with significant morphine sparing properties.     

Intravenous regional anesthesia using lidocaine and clonidine.

BACKGROUND: Clonidine has been added to local anesthetic regimens for various peripheral nerve blocks, resulting in prolonged anesthesia and analgesia. The authors postulated that using clonidine as a component of intravenous regional anesthesia (IVRA) would enhance postoperative analgesia. METHODS: Forty-five patients undergoing ambulatory hand surgery received IVRA with lidocaine, 0.5%, and were assigned randomly and blindly to three groups. The control group received intravenous saline, the intravenous clonidine group received 1 microg/kg clonidine intravenously, and the IVRA clonidine group received 1 microg/kg clonidine as part of the IVRA solution. After their operations, the patients' pain and sedation scores and analgesic use were recorded. RESULTS: Patients in the IVRA clonidine group had a significantly longer period of subjective comfort when they required no analgesics (median [range]) for 460 min (215-1,440 min), compared with 115 min (14-390 min) for the control group and 125 min (17-295 min) for the intravenous clonidine group (P<0.0001). The patients who received IVRA with clonidine reported significantly lower pain scores 1 and 2 h after tourniquet deflation compared with the other groups, and they required no fentanyl in the postanesthesia care unit. They also required fewer analgesic tablets (325 mg acetaminophen with 30 mg codeine) in the first 24 h (2+/-1, mean +/- SD) compared with the other two groups, 5+/-1 tablets (control) and 4+/-2 tablets (intravenous clonidine) (P<0.0001). No significant postoperative sedation, hypotension, or bradycardia developed in any of the patients. CONCLUSION: The addition of 1 microg/kg clonidine to lidocaine, 0.5%, for IVRA in patients undergoing ambulatory hand surgery improves postoperative analgesia without causing significant side effects during the first postoperative day.     

Postoperative analgesia in children undergoing myringotomy and placement equalization tubes in ambulatory surgery

We enrolled 120 children undergoing bilateral myringotomy and tube placement in this prospective, randomized, observer-blinded study. Patients were randomized into one of four groups: Group 1 (control) was plain acetaminophen 10 mg/kg orally, Group 2 was acetaminophen 10 mg/kg with 1 mg/kg of codeine orally, Group 3 was transnasal butorphanol 25 micro g/kg given immediately after the induction of anesthesia, and Group 4 was ketorolac 1 mg/kg given IM immediately after the induction of anesthesia. All children received oral midazolam (0.6 mg/kg) before surgery. A nurse blinded to the analgesic technique used assessed the child's behavior at the induction of anesthesia and in the postanesthesia care unit using a 4-point scale. Analgesic effectiveness was determined by assessing the child's pain at 5-min intervals using a modified 10-point objective pain scale. In the postanesthesia care unit, rescue pain medication was administered for an objective pain scale >or=4 or a behavior score >or=3. Our data suggest that IM ketorolac is a promising analgesic to be used in this surgical population. Time to first rescue analgesic was longest in the ketorolac group, and there was no associated postoperative vomiting or nausea. IM ketorolac given during surgery was the best analgesic regimen for these procedures. IMPLICATIONS: We compared four different analgesics in the management of pain after placement of pressure equalization tubes during myringotomy in children and demonstrated that ketorolac or butorphanol provided superior analgesia when compared with acetaminophen with codeine or plain acetaminophen. Children who received ketorolac versus butorphanol had less vomiting in the 24 h after surgery.     

Effect of intraoperative magnesium infusion on perioperative analgesia in open cholecystectomy

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To study the role of magnesium sulphate (MgSO4) on analgesic requirement, pain, discomfort, and sleep during perioperative period. DESIGN: prospective, double-blinded, randomized study. SETTINGS: Operating room and recovery ward at a university teaching hospital. PATIENTS: 50 ASA physical status I and II patients scheduled for elective open cholecystectomy with general anesthesia. INTERVENTIONS: patients were randomly allocated to receive MgSO4 or saline intravenously (i.v.). Patients in the magnesium group received 50% MgSO4 (50 mg kg(-1)) in 100 mL saline and those in the control group received an equal volume of saline i.v. during the preoperative period followed by 50 mL hr(-1) infusion of either MgSO4 (15 mg kg(-1) hr(-1)) or saline until the end of surgery. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Morphine requirement, pain during rest and on coughing, discomfort, and insomnia were assessed during the postoperative period for 24 hours. Intravenous morphine 40 microg kg(-1) increments were given to all patients in the postoperative period for analgesia. Patients in the magnesium and control groups had similar morphine requirement during the first 24 hours postoperatively (p = 0.07). Patients in the magnesium group experienced less discomfort during the first hour after the operation. They also had better sleep quality during the first postoperative night than did the control group patients (p < 0.05). The frequency of side effects was similar in the two groups. CONCLUSION: Administration of intraoperative MgSO4 as an adjuvant analgesic in patients undergoing open cholecystectomy resulted in better pain relief and comfort in the first postoperative hour, but it did not significantly decrease the postoperative morphine requirement. Magnesium sulphate resulted in better sleep quality during the postoperative period, without any significant adverse effects. The role of MgSO4 as an adjuvant analgesic in open cholecystectomy needs to be studied further.     

Intravenous Regional Anesthesia Using Lidocaine and Clonidine

Background: Clonidine has been added to local anesthetic regimens for various peripheral nerve blocks, resulting in prolonged anesthesia and analgesia. The authors postulated that using clonidine as a component of intravenous regional anesthesia (IVRA) would enhance postoperative analgesia.

Methods: Forty-five patients undergoing ambulatory hand surgery received IVRA with lidocaine, 0.5%, and were assigned randomly and blindly to three groups. The control group received intravenous saline, the intravenous clonidine group received 1 [mu]g/kg clonidine intravenously, and the IVRA clonidine group received 1 [mu]g/kg clonidine as part of the IVRA solution. After their operations, the patients' pain and sedation scores and analgesic use were recorded.

Results: Patients in the IVRA clonidine group had a significantly longer period of subjective comfort when they required no analgesics (median [range]) for 460 min (215-1,440 min), compared with 115 min (14-390 min) for the control group and 125 min (17-295 min) for the intravenous clonidine group (P < 0.0001). The patients who received IVRA with clonidine reported significantly lower pain scores 1 and 2 h after tourniquet deflation compared with the other groups, and they required no fentanyl in the postanesthesia care unit. They also required fewer analgesic tablets (325 mg acetaminophen with 30 mg codeine) in the first 24 h (2 +/- 1, mean +/- SD) compared with the other two groups, 5 +/- 1 tablets (control) and 4 +/- 2 tablets (intravenous clonidine) (P < 0.0001). No significant postoperative sedation, hypotension, or bradycardia developed in any of the patients.     

An evaluation of the analgesic efficacy of intravenous regional anesthesia with lidocaine and ketorolac using a forearm versus upper arm tourniquet

Intravenous regional anesthesia (IVRA) using a forearm tourniquet may be a potentially safer technique compared with using an upper arm tourniquet. Ketorolac is a useful adjuvant to lidocaine for IVRA. In this study, we assessed the analgesic efficacy of administering IVRA lidocaine and ketorolac with either a forearm or upper arm tourniquet for outpatient hand surgery. Upper arm IVRA was established using 40 mL of a solution containing 200 mg of lidocaine and ketorolac 20 mg (0.5 mg/mL). Forearm IVRA was established using 20 mL of a solution containing 100 mg of lidocaine and ketorolac 10 mg (0.5 mg/mL). Onset and duration of sensory block as well as postoperative pain and analgesic use were recorded. The patients who received forearm IVRA had a significantly longer period during which they required no analgesics (701 +/- 133 min) compared with 624 +/- 80 min for the upper arm IVRA ketorolac patients (P = 0.032). Onset of sensory block was similar between the two groups; however, recovery of sensation was significantly longer in the Forearm IVRA (22 +/- 5 min) group compared with the Upper Arm IVRA (13 +/- 3 min) group (P < 0.05). There were no differences in postoperative analgesic use or pain scores between the two groups. We conclude that forearm IVRA with lidocaine and ketorolac provides safe and effective perioperative analgesia for patients undergoing ambulatory hand surgery. This technique results in a longer duration of sensory block and prolonged postoperative analgesia compared with upper arm IVRA while using one-half the doses of both lidocaine and ketorolac. IMPLICATIONS: Forearm tourniquet intravenous regional anesthesia (IVRA) with 50% less lidocaine and ketorolac provides for both a longer duration of sensory block and prolonged postoperative analgesia compared with upper arm IVRA.     

肩关节手术后关节内应用酮洛酸、吗啡、罗哌卡因联合患者自控关节内镇痛对疼痛缓解影响的随机双盲研究

背景本研究评估关节内镇痛对手术后疼痛和镇痛药物需要量的影响。方法51例接受肩关节手术（Bankart）的患者纳入本随机双盲研究。手术结束后在关节内置入导管,随机分为3组分别注射下述药物：组1,罗哌卡因90mg（9ml）、吗啡4mg（10ml）、酮洛酸30mg（1ml）（总量20ml）;组2和组3,生理盐水（20ml）。此外,组1和组3的患者静脉注射1ml生理盐水;组2则静脉注射酮洛酸30mg（1ml）。手术后,组1通过关节内导管应用10ml 0．5％的罗哌卡因按需行手术后镇痛,而组2和组3应用生理盐水。组3是对照组。结果在最初的30和120分钟内,组1患者较组2和组3患者手术后静息和运动状态的疼痛减轻。组1患者较组2和组3手术后首次需要应用局麻药的时间延长（P〈0．001）。手术后最初24小时内,组1和组2患者的平均吗啡用量小于组3（P〈0．001）。组1和组2患者镇痛药物用量差异无显著性。与组2（P〈0．05）和组3（P〈0．001）相比,组1患者的平均满意度较高。结论与对照组相比,关节内联合应用罗哌卡因、吗啡、酮洛酸,随后按需间断应用罗哌卡因可以达到更好的疼痛缓解效果,较少的吗啡用量以及更高的患者满意度。与对照组患者相比,静脉注射酮洛酸组患者吗啡用量减少,并且治疗满意度也较高。     

A double-blind prospective comparison of rofecoxib vs ketorolac in reducing postoperative pain after arthroscopic knee surgery

STUDY OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare the analgesic efficacy of premedication with rofecoxib vs intravenous (IV) ketorolac in reducing postoperative pain after arthroscopic knee surgery. STUDY DESIGN: This is a prospective, randomized, double-blinded study. SETTING: This study was set at a university hospital. SUBJECTS: The subjects include 54 patients with American Society of Anesthesiologists physical statuses I, II, and III undergoing knee arthroscopy. INTERVENTIONS: Group 1 received 50 mg oral rofecoxib preoperatively with IV placebo injection, which was administered 20 minutes before the end of the operation. Group 2 received a preoperative placebo and 30 mg IV ketorolac 20 minutes before the end of surgery. MEASUREMENTS: The primary outcome measure was the proportion of patients reporting pain in the postoperative anesthesia care unit, 6 hours and 24 hours after discharge. Additional end points included the use of 5:325 mg oxycodone-acetaminophen (O/A) tablets, pain scores, patient's satisfaction survey, and comparison of side effects. Data were analyzed using independent samples t tests for continuous variables or chi2 tests for categorical variables. P < .05 was considered significant. RESULTS: The 2 groups were comparable with regard to patient characteristics, intraoperative medication use, and duration of surgery. There was no difference either in pain scores or O/A use in the postoperative anesthesia care unit. At 24 hours after discharge, significantly more patients in the ketorolac group (91%) reported pain than the rofecoxib group (63%) (P = .02). Sixty-one percent of patients in the ketorolac group used O/A during the first 24 hours vs 38% in the rofecoxib group. The difference, however, was not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Preoperative rofecoxib is as effective as ketorolac for the treatment of pain after knee arthroscopy. Higher frequency of pain reporting at 24 hours by patients in ketorolac group is explained by the longer analgesic effect of rofecoxib. Future studies should directly compare gastrointestinal injury of these drugs, as well as cost-effectiveness of rofecoxib vs ketorolac.     

Local infiltration analgesia is not improved by postoperative intra-articular bolus injections for pain after total hip arthroplasty

Background and purpose — The effect of postoperative intra-articular bolus injections after total hip arthroplasty (THA) remains unclear. We tested the hypothesis that intra-articular bolus injections administered every 6 hours after surgery during the first 24 hours would significantly improve analgesia after THA.

Patients and methods — 80 patients undergoing THA received high-volume local infiltration analgesia (LIA; 200 mg ropivacaine and 30 mg ketorolac) followed by 4 intra-articular injections with either ropivacaine (100 mg) and ketorolac (15 mg) (the treatment group) or saline (the control group). The intra-articular injections were combined with 4 intravenous injections of either saline (treatment group) or 15 mg ketorolac (control group). All patients received morphine as patient-controlled analgesia (PCA). The primary outcome was consumption of intravenous morphine PCA and secondary outcomes were consumption of oral morphine, pain intensity, side effects, readiness for hospital discharge, length of hospital stay, and postoperative consumption of analgesics at 3, 6, and 12 weeks after surgery.

Results — There were no statistically significant differences between the 2 groups regarding postoperative consumption of intravenous morphine PCA. Postoperative pain scores during walking were higher in the treatment group from 24–72 hours after surgery, but other pain scores were similar between groups. Time to readiness for hospital discharge was longer in the treatment group. Other secondary outcomes were similar between groups.

Interpretation — Postoperative intra-articular bolus injections of ropivacaine and ketorolac cannot be recommended as analgesic method after THA.     

Pain associated with carotid artery surgery performed under carotid plexus block: preemptive analgesic effect of ketorolac

Carotid artery surgery (CAS) performed under cervical plexus block is frequently associated with significant intra- and postoperative pain. To evaluate whether preoperative administration of ketorolac may improve analgesia in this type of surgery, 80 patients scheduled for CAS under cervical plexus block were randomly allocated to receive intravenously either 30 mg of ketorolac or placebo 30 minutes before surgery. Verbal rating scale pain scores during surgery and 3 and 6 hours after surgery, the number of patients requiring additional analgesia, and the total analgesic consumption both during and within 6 hours after surgery were significantly lower, whereas the time to first postoperative analgesia was significantly shorter in the ketorolac group than in the control group. The results of this prospective, randomized, double-blind study show that a single 30 mg dose of ketorolac administered intravenously 30 minutes before surgery reduces intraoperative pain and preempts postoperative pain in patients undergoing CAS under carotid plexus block.     

Perioperative effects of oral ketorolac and acetaminophen in children undergoing bilateral myringotomy

Prophylactic administration of analgesics before surgery can decrease the intraoperative anaesthetic requirement and decrease pain during the early postoperative period. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study involving 90 healthy ASA physical status I or II children undergoing bilateral myringotomy, we compared the postoperative analgesic effects of oral acetaminophen and ketorolac, when administered 30 min before induction of anaesthesia. Patients were randomized to receive saline (0.1 ml.kg-1), acetaminophen (10 mg.kg-1) or ketorolac (1 mg.kg-1) diluted in cherry syrup to a total volume of 5 ml. Anaesthesia was induced and maintained with halothane and nitrous oxide via a face mask. Postoperative pain was assessed by a blinded observer using an objective pain scale. The three study groups were similar with respect to demographic data, duration of anaesthesia and surgery, induction behaviour, oxygen saturation, incidence of postoperative emesis and, recovery times. The ketorolac group had lower postoperative pain scores and required less frequent analgesic therapy in the early postoperative period compared with the acetaminophen and placebo groups. In contrast, there were no differences in pain scores or analgesic requirements between the acetaminophen and the placebo groups. We conclude that the preoperative administration of oral ketorolac, but not acetaminophen, provided better postoperative pain control than placebo in children undergoing bilateral myringotomy.     

Preoperative ketorolac administration has no preemptive analgesic effect for minor orthopaedic surgery

The utility of preoperative ketorolac administration to reduce the intensity and duration of postoperative pain was compared with placebo in a randomized double-blind design of 60 ASA 1–2 patients scheduled for minor orthopaedic surgery. No opioids nor local anaesthetic blocks were used during surgery. The patients received either 30 mg ketorolac IV before surgery followed by a placebo injection after surgery or the reverse. Postoperative pain intensity was assessed repeatedly for 6 h using a visual analogue scale. No differences in pain intensity were observed between the two groups except for the initial 15-min postoperative assesments in the ketorolac group. The time to first rescue morphine administration and the total morphine consumption during the 6-h observation period were similar. It is concluded that the preoperative administration of ketorolac did not provide a significant preemptive analgesic benefit with regard to postoperative pain relief and opioid dose-sparing effect.     

Propacetamol versus ketorolac for treatment of acute postoperative pain after total hip or knee replacement

We assessed the analgesic efficacy of IV propacetamol and ketorolac in a double-blinded, placebo-controlled study involving patients undergoing total hip or knee replacement procedures. On the first morning after major joint replacement surgery, 164 patients experiencing moderate-to-severe pain were randomly assigned to receive an IV infusion of propacetamol (2 g), ketorolac (15 or 30 mg), or placebo (saline). Patient-controlled analgesia with morphine was made available as a "rescue" analgesic on patient's request during the 6-h postdosing evaluation period. The median time to onset of analgesia with propacetamol (8 [95% confidence interval 6,10] min) was shorter than ketorolac 15 mg (14 [7,16] min), and placebo (16 [8; not estimable] min) although the differences did not reach statistical significance. However, compared with ketorolac 30 mg, propacetamol had a shorter duration of analgesia (3.5 [2;5.4] vs 6 [3.3; not estimable] h). Analysis of pain intensity and pain relief scores demonstrated that propacetamol produced a significantly greater improvement in pain relief than saline from 45 min until 5 h after the injection. Propacetamol was not significantly different from ketorolac 15 mg and 30 mg with respect to the main analgesic efficacy variables during the 6-h assessment period. The most frequently reported adverse event with propacetamol was injection site pain (28% vs 19% for ketorolac 15 mg, 29% for ketorolac 30 mg, and 10% for placebo, respectively). In conclusion, propacetamol (2 g IV) possesses a similar analgesic efficacy to ketorolac (15 or 30 mg IV) after total hip or knee replacement surgery.     

Intramuscular ketorolac following total hip replacement with spinal anaesthesia and intrathecal morphine

We have studied the analgesic and morphine sparing effect of ketorolac tromethamine in 60 patients after total hip replacement under spinal anaesthesia.
In this double blind study 30 patients received ketorolac 30 mg IM 6 hourly postoperatively and the control group received saline. Analgesia was assessed by visual analogue pain scores (VAS) and morphine consumption by patient controlled analgesia (PCA). There was a significantly ( P <0.02) lower morphine consumption in the ketorolac group (7.1 ±8.6 mg; Mean±s.d.) when compared to the saline group (14.2±13.6 mg). Although there was a trend for lower VAS on the first postoperative night this was only significant at 10 hours postoperatively and the next morning at 08:00 hr. The incidence of side effects (emetic sequelae, pruritus and headache) were similar in both groups. It is concluded that ketorolac reduces the consumption of additional morphine in conjunction with intrathecal morphine but had no effects on the side effects.     

Analgesic and antiemetic effect of ketorolac vs. betamethasone or dexamethasone after ambulatory surgery

BACKGROUND: Glucocorticoids are known to provide slower onset and more prolonged duration of analgesic effect than ketorolac. In the present study, we wanted to evaluate the effect over time from a single dose of either intravenous (i.v.) dexamethasone or an intramuscular (i.m.) depot formulation of betamethasone compared with i.v. ketorolac. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred and seventy-nine patients admitted for mixed ambulatory surgery were included in the study. After induction of general i.v. anaesthesia, the patients were randomized to receive double-blindly either dexamethasone 4 mg i.v. (Group D) or betamethasone depot formulation 12 mg i.m. (Group B) or ketorolac 30 mg i.v. (Group K). Fentanyl was used for rescue analgesic medication in the post-operative care unit (PACU) and codeine with paracetamol after discharge, for a study period of 3 days. RESULTS: There was significantly less post-operative pain in the ketorolac group during the stay in the unit (88% with minor or less pain in Group K vs. 74% and 67% in Groups D and B, respectively, P < 0.05), significantly less need for rescue medication (P < 0.05) and significantly less nausea or vomiting (12% in Group K vs. 30% in the other groups pooled, P < 0.05). The ketorolac patients were significantly faster for ready discharge, median 165 min vs. 192 min and 203 min in Groups D and B, respectively (P < 0.01). There were no differences between the groups in perceived pain, nausea, vomiting or rescue analgesic consumption in the 4- to 72-h period. CONCLUSION: Dexamethasone 4 mg or bethamethasone 12 mg did not provide prolonged post-operative analgesic effect compared with ketorolac 30 mg, which was superior for analgesia and antiemesis in the PACU.     

Effects of ketorolac and bupivacaine on recovery after outpatient arthroscopy.

The effects of intraarticular bupivacaine, systemic ketorolac, and a combination of both treatments on postoperative pain and mobilization were evaluated in 60 healthy outpatients undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery under general anesthesia. After induction of anesthesia, patients received 2 mL of either ketorolac (60 mg) or saline solution (1 mL IV and 1 mL IM). On completion of surgery, the patient's knee joint was injected with 30 mL of either 0.5% bupivacaine or saline solution, according to a randomized, double-blind protocol. Only one patient (6%) receiving both medications complained of pain on awakening, compared with seven patients receiving either bupivacaine (37%) or ketorolac (41%) alone. Postoperative fentanyl was required by significantly fewer patients receiving combined therapy (n = 4, 21%) than either bupivacaine (n = 13, 62%) or ketorolac (n = 12, 60%) alone; however, there were no significant differences among the three treatment groups in terms of perioperative pain, nausea, or sedation visual analogue scale scores. Similarly, there were no differences in the times to ambulation or discharge or in analgesic requirements at home. In conclusion, a combination of systemic ketorolac and intraarticular bupivacaine decreased analgesic requirements and pain on awakening after arthroscopic surgery. However, the use of ketorolac alone or in combination with bupivacaine offered no advantage over bupivacaine alone with respect to recovery times after outpatient arthroscopy.     

Regional block and mexiletine: the effect on pain after cancer breast surgery

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Breast surgery for cancer is associated with chronic pain and sensory abnormalities. The present study investigates the effect of regional block, oral mexiletine, and the combination of both, on acute and chronic pain associated with cancer breast surgery. METHODS: One hundred patients scheduled for cancer breast surgery received either regional block with 18 mL of 1% ropivacaine intraoperatively and oral mexiletine for the first 6 postoperative days (R + M group), or regional block and placebo (R + PL), or normal saline instead of ropivacaine and mexiletine (PL + M), or normal saline and placebo (PL + PL). Postoperative analgesic requirements were recorded daily. Pain was assessed 0, 3, 6, 9, and 24 hours in the postanesthesia care unit (PACU) and on the second to sixth day postoperatively, at rest, and after movement using the visual analog scale (VAS). Three months after surgery, patients were interviewed for the presence and intensity of pain, abnormal sensations, and analgesic requirements. RESULTS: Regional block reduced the number of intramuscular (IM) injections required the first 24 hours (P =.05), the R + PL group requiring less injections versus the PL + M group (P =.037). Lonarid tablet (paracetamol and codeine) consumption from the second to the fifth postoperative day differed among the 4 groups (P =.0304), the R + M group requiring fewer tablets than the PL + PL group (P =.009). Three hours postoperatively, the R + PL group had less pain at rest when compared with all other groups (P <.05 for all comparisons). On the second postoperative day, VAS at rest and after movement was less in the R + M versus the R + PL group (P <.01 and P <.05, respectively). Three months after surgery, the 4 groups were similar with regard to incidence or intensity of pain or analgesic requirements. The R + PL group had a lower incidence (77%) of reduced or absent sensation (P =.016). CONCLUSIONS: Regional block reduced the analgesic requirements in the early postoperative period, while mexiletine combined with regional block reduced the total analgesic requirements during the next 5 postoperative days. Although chronic pain was not affected by these treatments late-abnormal sensation may be diminished by combination of these treatments. Reg Anesth Pain Med 2001;26:223-228.     

Comparison of ketorolac and morphine as adjuvants during pediatric surgery.

The intraoperative use of opioid analgesics decreases the volatile anesthetic requirement and provides for pain relief in the early postoperative period. In a randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled study involving 95 ASA physical status 1 or 2 children (ages 5-15 yr) undergoing general anesthesia for elective operations, we compared postoperative analgesia following the intraoperative intravenous (iv) administration of ketorolac, a nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug or morphine, an opioid analgesic. After induction of general anesthesia and before the start of the surgical procedure, children received equal volumes of saline, morphine (0.1 mg.kg-1, iv) or ketorolac (0.9 mg.kg-1, iv). Postoperative pain was evaluated by the child using a 10-cm linear visual analog scale (VAS) and by a blinded observer using both a VAS and an objective pain scale (OPS) in the postanesthesia care unit (PACU). There were no statistically significant differences in the VAS and OPS scores in the PACU or in the postoperative analgesic requirements in children receiving morphine or ketorolac. The placebo group had a significantly higher VAS and OPS score and required earlier and more frequent analgesic therapy in the PACU compared to the two analgesic groups. Patients receiving ketorolac had less postoperative emesis than those receiving morphine. We conclude that ketorolac (0.9 mg.kg-1) is an effective alternative to morphine (0.1 mg.kg-1) as an iv adjuvant during general anesthesia, and in the dose used in this study, is associated with less postoperative nausea and vomiting in children.     

Comparison of i.m. and local infiltration of ketorolac with and without local anaesthetic

We have studied postoperative analgesia in 32 patients undergoing outpatient repair of inguinal hernia. All patients received a standardized general anaesthetic of thiopentone followed by halothane or isoflurane in 70% nitrous oxide and oxygen delivered by face mask or laryngeal mask with spontaneous ventilation. No patient received premedication, opioids or neuromuscular blockers. Before wound closure the surgeon infiltrated 20 ml of a study solution into the wound. The solution contained ketorolac 30 mg in saline, 0.25% bupivacaine and ketorolac 30 mg, 0.25% bupivacaine or saline (control group). The control group received ketorolac 60 mg i.m. at the same time. Pain scores were measured 2, 6 and 24 h after operation. Pain scores for all three active groups were significantly less (P < 0.05) than the control group at all times. There were no significant differences in pain scores at any time between the three study groups. Wound infiltration with ketorolac 30 mg in saline, 0.25% bupivacaine or ketorolac 30 mg with 0.25% bupivacaine provided equivalent analgesia. Wound infiltration with ketorolac 30 mg in saline provided analgesia superior to that of ketorolac 60 mg i.m.      

The efficacy of intramuscular ketorolac in combination with intravenous PCA morphine for postoperative pain relief.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To examine the efficacy of intramuscular (IM) ketorolac used in combination with intravenous (IV) patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) morphine for postoperative pain relief following intra-abdominal gynecologic surgery. DESIGN: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. SETTING: Patient care unit at a university medical center. PATIENTS: Thirty-five healthy women undergoing intra-abdominal gynecologic surgery who requested postoperative PCA. INTERVENTIONS: Postoperatively, all patients received IV PCA morphine, with the PCA device programmed to deliver a maximum of 1 mg every 6 minutes (maximum of 30 mg over 4 hours). In addition, patients received one of three regimens: (1) IM saline every 6 hours; (2) IM ketorolac 30 mg while in the postanesthesia care unit (PACU), followed by 15 mg every 6 hours; or (3) IM ketorolac 60 mg while in the PACU, followed by 30 mg every 6 hours. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Patients were assessed at regular intervals. Visual analog scale (VAS) scores were used to assess analgesia and patient satisfaction with therapy. Data on morphine usage were obtained from the PCA device, and the frequency and severity of adverse effects were assessed for the presence or absence of side effects. Cumulative morphine dosages were lower (p less than 0.05) in both ketorolac groups at 12, 18, and 24 hours. VAS scores and the frequency of side effects did not differ significantly among groups. CONCLUSIONS: IM ketorolac significantly decreased PCA morphine requirements. The analgesic effects of the two drugs appear to be additive.