Comparison of the preemptive effect of intravenous paracetamol and ketorolac on prevention of postoperative pain in patients undergoing abdominal surgery

Abstract

Background: Postoperative pain is one of the most prevalent complications after the surgery and several studies have been performed for prevention of it. This study aimed to compare the preemptive effect of intravenous paracetamol and ketorolac on prevention of postoperative pain in patients undergoing abdominal surgeries. Methods: In a clinical trial study, 80 patients undergoing abdominal surgery were selected and randomly divided into two groups of 40. The first and second groups received 30 mg intravenous paracetamol and 1 g intravenous ketorolac, respectively, one hour before the beginning of surgery. Incidence and intensity of postoperative pain were compared between the two groups. Findings: The mean score of postoperative pain in paracetamol and ketorolac groups in recovery were 7.4 ± 0.9 and 5.9 ± 2.0, respectively and the difference between the groups was statistically significant (P < 0.001). In addition, postoperative pain intensity in 2, 6, and 18 hours after the surgery was lower in ketorolac group. The mean change of postoperative pain intensity was different in the two groups (P = 0.034). But, the incidence of nausea and vomiting was higher in ketorolac group. Conclusion: Injection of paracetamol led to more decrease in postoperative pain; but the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting was higher with ketorolac. As using non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in some of patients is limited, probably paracetamol is a suitable drug for prevention of postoperative pain. Although, more studies is recommended. © 2017, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences(IUMS). All rights reserved.