Analgesic efficacy of ketorolac

Abstract

Ketorolac is an efficient drug for the treatment of moderate to severe pain following minor or intermediate types of surgery. Its use is associated with improved quality of recovery, reduced incidence of side effects and earlier discharge from the recovery unit and the hospital in patients treated on an ambulatory basis. With regard to major surgery ketorolac provides insufficient analgesia when administered as the sole agent during the immediate postoperative period. However, it is an effective adjunct to all forms of opioid analgesia being associated with a significant opioid sparing effect. Large scale studies have demonstrated that this combination of improved analgesia and opioid sparing is of clinical benefit.