NSAID nephrotoxicity revisited: acute renal failure due to parenteral ketorolac

The success of ketorolac as a nonnarcotic analgesic is likely to propagate its widespread use to control moderate to severe postoperative pain. Indeed, of the patients treated with ketorolac and described in the medical literature, nearly 90% had had a major surgical procedure. Since any such procedure may be associated with significant third-spacing of the fluid and result in renal hypoperfusion, care must be taken in administering ketorolac. Close attention to urine output and parameters of renal function must be maintained. Moreover, postoperative ketorolac therapy should be avoided in patients who have conditions that predispose to NSAID nephrotoxicity (as in our Case 1). Likewise, in nonsurgical patients the same degree of caution should be used with ketorolac as with any oral NSAID. Finally, since ketorolac is excreted almost entirely by the kidney, either elderly patients or patients with underlying renal insufficiency must have an adjustment of the dosing interval, or this medication should be avoided in such patients altogether.