Nurse evaluation of a pain medication protocol in a selective postoperative population

Postoperative pain in 33 patients who underwent radical prostatectomy was managed by an intramuscular nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug protocol rather than by administration of narcotics. Patients rated their perception of pain with a visual analog scale on the first postoperative day both before and after receiving ketorolac tromethamine. The medication was effective in relieving pain after this major operation. Costs were approximately one half that of the traditional narcotic protocol used before this study.