ABSTRACT
Objective: This prospective randomized single blind study was designed to evaluate the analgesic efficacy of ketorolac and compare its effectiveness with the analgesic efficacy of piroxicam for postoperative pain management after cholecystectomy
Settings: Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, PNS SHIFA, KARACHI
Methodology: In this study, fifty patients who had to undergo cholecystectomy were randomized in two groups. The patients were monitored for 72 hours post operatively. The patients were ASA physical status of I and II, of both the sexes and aged between 30 to 60 years. A balanced anaesthetic technique was used for all the patients during the conduct of procedure. All the patients were operated through a standard subcostal incision [3 to 4 inches in length]. First dose of both the drugs was given immediately after induction [15 mg Ketorolac I/V or 20 mg Piroxicam I/M]. Postoperatively, group I patients received injection Ketorolac 15mg I/V8 hourly, group II patients were given injection Piroxicam 20mg I/M once daily. If pain persistently remained above 5 on VAS, injection Pethidine 50mg I/V p.m. was used as rescue analgesia for both the groups. In group I [ketorolac group] 7 patients [28%] required rescue analgesia whereas in group II, eight patients [32%] required it. The effect of both the drugs on pulse rate, blood pressure, and respiratory rate and oxygen saturation were monitored and recorded. The frequency of postoperative complications was recorded. Relevant laboratory data [bleeding time, platelet count, serum creatinine and liver function tests] was monitored
Results: Both the drugs were found effective in controlling post operative pain. Ketorolac was found to be as effective an analgesic as piroxicam. Both drugs had similar side-effects spectrum
Conclusion: Both drugs Ketorolac and Piroxicam provided adequate pain relief