Assessment of ketorolac as an adjuvant to fentanyl patient-controlled epidural analgesia after radical retropubic prostatectomy.

BACKGROUND

Opioids, although effective postoperative analgesics, are associated with undesirable side effects. In an attempt to determine whether adjuvant, nonopioid medication would permit a reduction of the amount of fentanyl required for postoperative analgesia, the efficacy of ketorolac, an injectable nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug, was studied as an adjuvant to fentanyl patient-controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA) for postoperative pain management following radical retropublic prostatectomy.

METHODS

Forty patients were randomized into two groups to receive fentanyl PCEA and either ketorolac 30 mg intramuscularly every 6 h after an initial dose of 60 mg (n = 20) or placebo (n = 20) for 72 h. Visual analogue scale pain scores (0-100 mm; 0 mm = no pain; 100 mm = worst pain), sedation, fentanyl usage, gastrointestinal function, complications, blood loss, and temperature were assessed four times each day.

RESULTS

Visual analogue scale (VAS) pain scores at rest were lower in the ketorolac group during the first 4 h (P < 0.01), but were similar thereafter. Global VAS pain scores with activity were lower in the ketorolac group on postoperative day 1 (23 +/- 4 vs. 39 +/- 6; P < 0.05) and postoperative day 2 (17 +/- 3 vs. 29 +/- 4; P < 0.05). Bladder spasm pain occurred less frequently in the ketorolac group (1 vs. 9 patients; P < 0.05). Fentanyl usage was less in the ketorolac group throughout the study (33 +/- 3 vs. 50 +/- 6 micrograms/h, 0-24 h; 20 +/- 2 vs. 36 +/- 6 micrograms/h, 24-48 h; 12 +/- 2 vs. 24 +/- 6 micrograms/h, 48-72 h; P < 0.05). Sedation scores and side effects were similar, except on postoperative day 3 when nausea was less frequent in the ketorolac group (0 vs. 6 patients; P < 0.05). Recovery of gastrointestinal function occurred sooner in the ketorolac group as determined by first bowel sounds (26 +/- 3 vs. 38 +/- 4 h; P < 0.05), first clear liquids (51 +/- 2 vs. 65 +/- 3 h; P < 0.01), and first regular meal (95 +/- 4 vs. 110 +/- 4 h; P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in blood loss, transfusion requirement, hematocrit, platelet count, or temperature. There was high overall satisfaction in both groups, but fewer patients in the ketorolac group rated pain with walking as usually or always painful (1 vs. 9 patients; P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Ketorolac is a beneficial adjuvant to fentanyl PCEA for postoperative pain management after radical retropubic prostatectomy.