Faculty Collaboration Database

A double-blind evaluation of ketorolac tromethamine versus acetaminophen in pediatric tonsillectomy: analgesia and bleeding. Anesth Analg 1995 Feb;80(2):226-9

Date

02/01/1995

Pubmed ID

7818104

DOI

10.1097/00000539-199502000-00004

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-0028919161 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   232 Citations

Abstract

The study was designed to compare intravenous ketorolac to rectal acetaminophen for analgesia and bleeding in pediatric patients undergoing tonsillectomy. We studied 50 patients, aged 2-15 yr undergoing tonsillectomy with or without adenoidectomy. In a randomized, prospective double-blind fashion, patients were assigned to receive either ketorolac (1 mg/kg) or rectal acetaminophen (35 mg/kg). Bleeding was evaluated by measuring intraoperative blood loss and noting extra measures required to obtain hemostasis. Bleeding times were also measured before and during surgery. Pain was evaluated using a standard objective pain score for the first 3 h. Persistent pain was treated with morphine, acetaminophen, and codeine and recorded for 24 h. Blood for determination of acetaminophen levels was drawn at 20 and 40 min after the administration of study drugs. Pain scores were not significantly different between the ketorolac and acetaminophen groups. The majority of patients in both groups required additional opioid in the postoperative period. Acetaminophen levels were all less than the therapeutic range. Intraoperative bleeding times were normal in all patients, but blood loss was significantly higher in the ketorolac group (2.67 mL/kg) compared to the acetaminophen group (1.44 mL/kg), P = 0.025. Significantly more measures to achieve hemostasis were required in the ketorolac group (P = 0.012). We conclude that ketorolac is no more effective than high-dose rectal acetaminophen for analgesia in the patient undergoing tonsillectomy. Hemostasis during tonsillectomy was significantly more difficult to achieve in patients receiving ketorolac.

Author List

Rusy LM, Houck CS, Sullivan LJ, Ohlms LA, Jones DT, McGill TJ, Berde CB

Author

Lynn M. Rusy MD Professor in the Anesthesiology department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Acetaminophen
Adolescent
Analgesia
Analgesics, Non-Narcotic
Bleeding Time
Child
Child, Preschool
Double-Blind Method
Hemostasis, Surgical
Humans
Ketorolac Tromethamine
Prospective Studies
Tolmetin
Tonsillectomy
Tromethamine