Evaluation of ketorolac (Toradol) with varying amounts of codeine for postoperative extraction pain control

This study analyzes the combination of oral ketorolac 10 mg with varying amounts of codeine phosphate, and the postoperative pain relief that developed from these combinations. Five groups of patients were administered the codeine/ketorolac combinations. Variations of the combinations were analyzed to ascertain if an optimal analgesic ratio existed. All controllable variables involved with the surgical procedure were held constant to allow for better evaluation of postoperative pain. Results obtained from 67 patients indicated that the best pain relief was achieved with a combination of 10 mg ketorolac and 15 mg codeine phosphate. Codeine alone provided adequate analgesia, but the addition of ketorolac reduced the patients' perceived side effects. The presence of codeine in the analgesic combination was also shown to reduce the number of days that the patient required the medication postoperatively. Reducing the duration of medication use postoperatively may also minimize the possible side effects of ketorolac and codeine, which could develop with extended periods of use.