Evaluation of ketorolac compared to ketorolac plus dipyrone in post-operative analgesia of videolaparoscopic cholecystectomy

Objectives: To compare the analgesic effect of ketorolac with the association of ketorolac plus dipyrone after videolaparoscpic cholecystectomy and with a placebo group. Methods: After approval by the Research Ethics Committee and after having the informed consent signed, 60 patients aged between 18 and 60 years who underwent videolaparoscopic cholecystectomy were evaluated for the post-operative analgesia provided by ketorolac compared to ketorolac plus dipyrone. The patients underwent general anesthesia (with propofol, alfentanil, rocuronium and maintenance with isoflurane). Twenty patients received 20 ml water, 20 patients received ketorolac 30 mg in 20 ml water and 20 received ketorolac 30 mg plus dipyrone 2 g in 20 ml water, during anesthetic induction. In the post-operative recovery room, the patients were evaluated to the moment of their first pain complaint with the use of a visual analogue scale and a verbal pain scale every hour in the first six hours. When necessary, morphine was administered as a rescue medication for pain relief and a PCA pump with morphine solution was turned on. Rresults: Total morphine use was lower in the ketorolac plus dipyrone Group (2 mg) and in the ketorolac (2 mg) Group, compared to the placebo Group (10.5 mg). Of 20 cases of ketorolac plus dipyrone, eight patients did not complain of pain in the post-operative period, while only three patients did not complain in the ketorolac Group and in the placebo Group (p = 0,05). Cconclusion: Ketorolac is a potent analgesic agent widely used for acute pain treatment, especially after surgeries, with an analgesic potency comparable to that of opiates, the most commonly drugs used during the post-operative of medium to major surgeries. In this study, the results analyzed at this moment show that the association of ketorolac plus dipyrone seemed to be superior to post-operative analgesia compared to the use of ketorolac