Intramuscular ketorolac for postoperative analgesia following laparoscopic sterilisation

The analgesic effect of intramuscular ketorolac was assessed by double blind study in forty women presenting for day-case laparoscopic sterilisation. The patients were randomly allocated to receive either ketorolac 30 mg or saline by intramuscular injection immediately following induction of general anaesthesia. There was no statistically significant difference between the groups in pain scores, opioid requirements or incidence of nausea and vomiting in the postoperative period. In view of the potential side-effects of ketorolac, and the apparent lack of efficacy when used prophylactically, the routine use of the drug in this group of patients cannot be recommended.