The effect of intravenous ketorolac given intraoperatively versus postoperatively on outcome from gynecologic abdominal surgery

An analysis of harms reporting in systematic reviews regarding ketorolac for management of perioperative pain

BACKGROUND

Owing to the frequent perioperative use of ketorolac tromethamine and its ability to minimise postoperative opioid requirements, it is important to continually reassess harms associated with its use. Our primary objective was to investigate the extent of harms reporting in systematic reviews (SRs) on ketorolac for perioperative pain.

METHODS

In May 2022, we conducted a search of major databases, MEDLINE (PubMed and Ovid), Embase, Epistemonikos, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews to identify eligible SRs on ketorolac for perioperative pain. Screening and data extraction were performed in masked, duplicate fashion. A MeaSurement Tool to Assess systematic Reviews-2 (AMSTAR-2) was used to appraise the methodological quality of included SRs. Corrected covered area (CCA) was calculated to determine overlap of primary studies between SR dyads.

RESULTS

A total of 28 SRs evaluating 630 primary studies met the inclusion criteria. Seven SRs (7/28, 25%) reported no harms and 17 SRs (17/28, 60.7%) reported ≤50% of harms items. A significant association was found between completeness of harms reporting and whether harms were specified as a primary outcome (P<0.001). No other associations were statistically significant. Regarding methodological quality, 22 SRs were appraised as 'critically low' (22/28, 78.6%), 5 as 'low' (5/28, 17.9%), and 1 as 'high' (1/28, 3.6%). One SR dyad had a CCA >50% but neither reported harms.

CONCLUSIONS

The extent of harms reporting in systematic reviews was inadequate. Given the importance that systematic reviews have on guiding perioperative decision-making, it is essential to improve the completeness of harms reporting.

Analgesia for Gynecologic Oncologic Surgeries: A Narrative Review

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Gynecologic oncologic malignancies are amongst the most common cancers affecting women across the world. This narrative review focuses on the current state of evidence around optimal perioperative pain management of patients undergoing surgeries for gynecologic malignancies with a specific focus on cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC).

RECENT FINDINGS

Recent improvements in postoperative pain management following all types of gynecologic procedures, including minimally invasive, open-abdominal, or CRS + HIPEC, have been implemented through enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols. These protocols encompass the use of preemptive analgesia, neuraxial and regional techniques, local anesthetic infiltration, and multimodal analgesia. The severity of postoperative pain varies for minimally invasive cancer surgery to open debulking procedures. Therefore, an individualized perioperative analgesic plan is critical depending on the surgical approach. For CRS + HIPEC, neuraxial techniques such as thoracic epidurals and opioid sparing multimodal analgesics have shown efficacy in the perioperative period. However, future research is needed as many of these patients develop chronic pain with very limited research done in this realm.

Single-dose intravenous ketorolac for acute postoperative pain in adults

BACKGROUND

Postoperative pain is common and may be severe. Postoperative administration of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) reduces patient opioid requirements and, in turn, may reduce the incidence and severity of opioid-induced adverse events (AEs).

OBJECTIVES

To assess the analgesic efficacy and adverse effects of single-dose intravenous ketorolac, compared with placebo or an active comparator, for moderate to severe postoperative pain in adults.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched the following databases without language restrictions: CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase and LILACS on 20 April 2020. We checked clinical trials registers and reference lists of retrieved articles for additional studies.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Randomized double-blind trials that compared a single postoperative dose of intravenous ketorolac with placebo or another active treatment, for treating acute postoperative pain in adults following any surgery.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

We used standard methodological procedures expected by Cochrane.  Our primary outcome was the number of participants in each arm achieving at least 50% pain relief over a four- and six-hour period. Our secondary outcomes were time to and number of participants using rescue medication; withdrawals due to lack of efficacy, adverse events (AEs), and for any other cause; and number of participants experiencing any AE, serious AEs (SAEs), and NSAID-related or opioid-related AEs. For subgroup analysis, we planned to analyze different doses of parenteral ketorolac separately and to analyze results based on the type of surgery performed. We assessed the certainty of evidence using GRADE.

MAIN RESULTS

We included 12 studies, involving 1905 participants undergoing various surgeries (pelvic/abdominal, dental, and orthopedic), with 17 to 83 participants receiving intravenous ketorolac in each study. Mean study population ages ranged from 22.5 years to 67.4 years. Most studies administered a dose of ketorolac of 30 mg; one study assessed 15 mg, and another administered 60 mg. Most studies had an unclear risk of bias for some domains, particularly allocation concealment and blinding, and a high risk of bias due to small sample size. The overall certainty of evidence for each outcome ranged from very low to moderate. Reasons for downgrading certainty included serious study limitations, inconsistency and imprecision. Ketorolac versus placebo Very low-certainty evidence from eight studies (658 participants) suggests that ketorolac results in a large increase in the number of participants achieving at least 50% pain relief over four hours compared to placebo, but the evidence is very uncertain (risk ratio (RR) 2.81, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.80 to 4.37). The number needed to treat for one additional participant to benefit (NNTB) was 2.4 (95% CI 1.8 to 3.7). Low-certainty evidence from 10 studies (914 participants) demonstrates that ketorolac may result in a large increase in the number of participants achieving at least 50% pain relief over six hours compared to placebo (RR 3.26, 95% CI 1.93 to 5.51). The NNTB was 2.5 (95% CI 1.9 to 3.7). Among secondary outcomes, for time to rescue medication, moderate-certainty evidence comparing intravenous ketorolac versus placebo demonstrated a mean median of 271 minutes for ketorolac versus 104 minutes for placebo (6 studies, 633 participants). For the number of participants using rescue medication, very low-certainty evidence from five studies (417 participants) compared ketorolac with placebo. The RR was 0.60 (95% CI 0.36 to 1.00), that is, it did not demonstrate a difference between groups. Ketorolac probably results in a slight increase in total adverse event rates compared with placebo (74% versus 65%; 8 studies, 810 participants; RR 1.09, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.19; number needed to treat for an additional harmful event (NNTH) 16.7, 95% CI 8.3 to infinite, moderate-certainty evidence). Serious AEs were rare. Low-certainty evidence from eight studies (703 participants) did not demonstrate a difference in rates between ketorolac and placebo (RR 0.62, 95% CI 0.13 to 3.03). Ketorolac versus NSAIDs  Ketorolac was compared to parecoxib in four studies and diclofenac in two studies. For our primary outcome, over both four and six hours there was no evidence of a difference between intravenous ketorolac and another NSAID (low-certainty and moderate-certainty evidence, respectively). Over four hours, four studies (337 participants) produced an RR of 1.04 (95% CI 0.89 to 1.21) and over six hours, six studies (603 participants) produced an RR of 1.06 (95% CI 0.95 to 1.19). For time to rescue medication, low-certainty evidence from four studies (427 participants) suggested that participants receiving ketorolac waited an extra 35 minutes (mean median 331 minutes versus 296 minutes). For the number of participants using rescue medication, very low-certainty evidence from three studies (260 participants) compared ketorolac with another NSAID. The RR was 0.90 (95% CI 0.58 to 1.40), that is, there may be little or no difference between groups.   Ketorolac probably results in a slight increase in total adverse event rates compared with another NSAID (76% versus 68%, 5 studies, 516 participants; RR 1.11, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.23; NNTH 12.5, 95% CI 6.7 to infinite, moderate-certainty evidence). Serious AEs were rare. Low-certainty evidence from five studies (530 participants) did not demonstrate a difference in rates between ketorolac and another NSAID (RR 3.18, 95% CI 0.13 to 76.99). Only one of the five studies reported a single serious AE.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

The amount and certainty of evidence for the use of intravenous ketorolac as a treatment for postoperative pain varies across efficacy and safety outcomes and amongst comparators, from very low to moderate. The available evidence indicates that postoperative intravenous ketorolac administration may offer substantial pain relief for most patients, but further research may impact this estimate. Adverse events appear to occur at a slightly higher rate in comparison to placebo and to other NSAIDs. Insufficient information is available to assess whether intravenous ketorolac has a different rate of gastrointestinal or surgical-site bleeding, renal dysfunction, or cardiovascular events versus other NSAIDs. There was a lack of studies in cardiovascular surgeries and in elderly populations who may be at increased risk for adverse events.

Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Association Between Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs and Operative Bleeding in the Perioperative Period

BACKGROUND

It is increasingly recognized that non-opioid analgesia is an important analgesia in the perioperative period. Specifically, NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) have been touted as an adjunct, or even replacement, for opioids. However, uptake of NSAIDs has been slow due to concern for side effects, including bleeding. We sought to understand the risk of bleeding caused by NSAIDs in the perioperative period.

STUDY DESIGN

A physician-librarian team performed a search of electronic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE), using search terms covering the targeted intervention (use of NSAIDs) and outcomes of interest (surgical complications, bleeding), limited to English language articles of any date. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of the data.

RESULTS

A total of 2,521 articles were screened, and 229 were selected on the basis of title and abstract for detailed assessment. Including reference searching, 74 manuscripts met inclusion criteria spanning years 1987-2019. These studies included 151,031 patients. Studies included 12 types of NSAIDs, the most common being ketorolac, diclofenac, and ibuprofen, over a wide-range of procedures, from otorhinolaryngology (ENT), breast, abdomen, plastics, and more. More than half were randomized control trials. The meta-analyses for hematoma, return to the operating room for bleeding, and blood transfusions showed no difference in risk in any of 3 categories studied between the NSAID vs non-NSAID groups (p = 0.49, p = 0.79, and p = 0.49, respectively). Quality scoring found a wide range of quality, with scores ranging from lowest quality of 12 to highest quality of 25, out of a total of 27 (average = 16).

CONCLUSIONS

NSAIDs are unlikely to be the cause of postoperative bleeding complications. This literature covers a large number of patients and remains consistent across types of NSAIDs and operations.

Association between long-term NSAID use and opioid abuse among patients with breast cancer

BACKGROUND

Improving survival rates among patients with breast cancer has been associated with an increase in the prevalence of co-morbidities like cancer-related pain. Opioids are an important component in the management of pain among these patients. However, the progression from judicious use to abuse defeats the aim of pain control. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are recommended as the first step in cancer-related pain management. Due to their anti-inflammatory, anti-neoplastic and neuroprotective properties, NSAIDs have been shown to reduce the risk of progression of certain cancers including breast cancers. In this study, we assessed whether an association exists between long-term NSAID use and opioid abuse among breast cancer survivors. We also explored the relationship between long-term NSAID use and inpatient mortality and length of stay (LOS).

METHODS

Using ICD-9-CM codes, we identified and selected women aged 18 years and older with breast cancer from the National Inpatient Sample. Our primary predictor was a history of long-term NSAID use. Multivariable regression models were employed in assessing the association between long-term NSAID use and opioid abuse, inpatient mortality and LOS.

RESULTS

Among 170,644 women with breast cancer, 7,838 (4.6%) reported a history of long-term NSAID use. Patients with a history of long-term NSAID use had lower odds of opioid abuse (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 0.53; 95% CI [0.32-0.88]), lower in-hospital mortality (aOR 0.52; 95% CI [0.45-0.60]) and shorter LOS (7.12 vs. 8.11 days).

DISCUSSION

Further studies are needed to understand the underlying mechanism of the association between long-term NSAID use and opioid abuse.

Use of Ketorolac After Outpatient Urogynecologic Surgery: A Randomized Control Trial

OBJECTIVE

Patient surveys highlight a prevalence of moderate to severe pain in the postanesthesia care unit. Multimodal analgesia has been promoted to improve this with fewer opioid-induced adverse effects. The aim of this study was to evaluate the opioid sparing and analgesic effect of postoperative intravenous (IV) ketorolac after outpatient transvaginal surgery.

METHODS

Forty patients were enrolled in this institutional review board-approved, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, to receive either 30 mg of IV ketorolac or IV saline placebo postoperatively. Pain was assessed by visual analog scale at timed intervals. Narcotic pain medication was provided upon request. Narcotic use was reassessed by telephone 5 to 7 days postoperatively. Categorical characteristics were compared by χ. Continuous variables were evaluated by Mann-Whitney U test.

RESULTS

Twenty patients were randomized to each group. Groups were similar in age, health, and operative factors. There was no significant difference in mean pain scores at any interval. The ketorolac group had a total morphine equivalent consumption median of 7.5 mg versus 4.0 mg for placebo, which was not significant (P = 0.17). Total use of narcotic pills postoperatively was equivalent (median, 5). There was no difference in postoperative nausea. One Dindo grade II complication was reported in the ketorolac group of a postoperative pelvic hematoma requiring transfusion.

DISCUSSION

Intravenous ketorolac administered after outpatient transvaginal surgery did not result in a reduction of pain scores or total morphine consumption. There was one Dindo grade II complication in the ketorolac group. Larger randomized control trials are needed to validate these findings.

Comparing the Efficacy of IV Ibuprofen and Ketorolac in the Management of Postoperative Pain Following Arthroscopic Knee Surgery. A Randomized Double-Blind Active Comparator Pilot Study

Introduction: Acute postoperative pain following knee arthroscopy is common in orthopedic surgeries. Managing pain postoperatively combines usage of opioids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The aim of this clinical study was to assess the efficacy of two different analgesic treatment regimens: intravenous (IV) ibuprofen and IV ketorolac for the treatment of postoperative pain pertaining to arthroscopic knee surgery. Methods: This was a single center, randomized, double-blind, parallel, active comparator clinical pilot study. Subjects were randomized to receive either IV ibuprofen, administered as two 800 mg doses or IV ketorolac, administered as a single 30 mg dose. Subjects in the ibuprofen group received 800 mg of IV ibuprofen within 2 h prior to surgery and a repeated second dose 4 h after the initial dose if they had not been discharged. Subjects in the ketorolac group received IV ketorolac 30 mg at the end of surgery, as per the manufacturer's recommendations. Pain assessments and opioid consumption data were collected up to 24 h postoperatively. Results: Of 53 randomized subjects, 51 completed the study. There were 20 subjects in the ibuprofen group and 31 subjects in the ketorolac group. The median (IQR) visual analog scale (VAS) pain score at resting upon post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) arrival was 33 (12, 52) vs. 9 (2, 25) (p = 0.0064) for the ketorolac and ibuprofen group, respectively. The median (IQR) visual analog scale (VAS) pain score at movement upon PACU arrival was 38 (20, 61) vs. 15 (6, 31) (p = 0.0018) for the ketorolac and ibuprofen group, respectively. Median VAS pain scores during movement taken at subsequent 30 min intervals in the ibuprofen group were less than half that of those reported in the ketorolac group for up to 90 min after arriving in PACU. The median VAS pain scores at rest and movement in the course of 120 min-24 h after PACU arrival was not statistically significant in both groups. Rescue opioid medication during PACU stay was required in 55.0% (N = 11) and 83.9% (N = 26), with a mean amount of narcotic consumption (oral morphine conversion) of 5.53 ± 5.89 mg vs. 19.92 ± 15.63 mg for the ibuprofen and ketorolac group, respectively (P < 0.001). However, opioid consumption during the first 24 h after PACU discharge was not statistically significant (p-value = 0.637). The mean time to first rescue medication was 77.62 ± 33.03 and 55.78 ± 35.37 for the ibuprofen and ketorolac group, respectively (p-value = 0.0456). There were no significant differences in patient satisfaction and documented adverse events during the first 24 h. Conclusion: This pilot study showed that the use of preemptive IV ibuprofen 800 mg could be considered to reduce postoperative pain and opioid consumption. Future prospective clinical trials using similar regimens should be conducted in order to gain a better understanding of how to best provide perioperative analgesic regimens. Clinical Trial Registration: www.ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier NCT01650519.

Effects of Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs as Patient Controlled Analgesia on Early Bowel Function Recovery after Radical Cystectomy

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of ketorolac, a commonly used non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) as patient controlled intravenous infusion analgesia (PCIA) for the patients underwent radical cystectomy (RC) due to bladder cancer regarding post-operational indices of recovery. Total seventy patients who underwent radical cystectomy for the treatment of bladder cancer were included in the study. 35 patients received ketorolac as PCIA (NSAIDS group) and 35 patients had morphine infusion as PCIA (morphine group). Pain intensity, bowel function recovery and length of hospital stay were evaluated. Early postoperative complications were analyzed according to surgical types (robot RC vs. open RC). Demographics were similar between two groups. NSAIDS group showed a significant reduction in postoperative vomiting (p = 0.001), time to flatus (p = 0.028), time to first bowel movement (p = 0.001) and time to first clear liquid diet (p = 0.002) compared with morphine group. No statistically significant differences were observed between two groups regarding length of hospitalization, and postoperative complications. For 48 hours after RC, pain relief was slightly better in morphine group (p < 0.001). Both open RC and robot RC cases showed significantly better bowel function recovery with NSAIDS groups. Ketorolac as PCIA is relatively effective in pain management with better gastrointestinal recovery after RC.

Evidence-based anesthesia for major gynecologic surgery

Studies on enhanced recovery after gynecological surgery are limited but seem to report outcome benefits similar to those reported after colorectal surgery. Regional anesthesia is recommended in enhanced recovery protocols. Effective regional anesthetic techniques in gynecologic surgery include spinal anesthesia, epidural analgesia, transversus abdominis plane blocks, local anesthetic wound infusions and intraperitoneal instillation catheters. Non-opioid analgesics including pregabalin, gabapentin, NSAIDs, COX-2 inhibitors, and paracetamol reduce opioid consumption after surgery. This population is at high risk for PONV, thus, a multimodal anti-emetic strategy must be employed, including strategies to reduce the baseline risk of PONV in conjunction with combination antiemetic therapy.

Paracetamol and selective and non-selective non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for the reduction in morphine-related side-effects after major surgery: a systematic review

Non-opioid analgesics, paracetamol, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), or cyclo-oxygenase 2 (COX-2) inhibitors are often given along with morphine as part of multimodal analgesia after major surgery. We have undertaken a systematic review and a mixed treatment comparison (MTC) analysis in order to determine explicitly which class of non-opioid analgesic, paracetamol, NSAIDs, or COX-2 inhibitors is the most effective in reducing morphine consumption and morphine-related adverse effects. Sixty relevant studies were identified. The MTC found that when paracetamol, NSAIDs, or COX-2 inhibitors were added to patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) morphine, there was a statistically significant reduction in morphine consumption: paracetamol [mean difference (MD) -6.34 mg; 95% credibility interval (CrI) -9.02, -3.65], NSAIDs (MD -10.18; 95% CrI -11.65, -8.72), and COX-2 inhibitors (MD -10.92; 95% CrI -12.77, -9.08). There was a significant reduction in nausea and postoperative nausea and vomiting with NSAIDs compared with placebo (odds ratio 0.70; 95% CrI 0.53, 0.88) but not for paracetamol or COX-2 inhibitors, nor for NSAIDs compared with paracetamol or COX-2 inhibitors. There was no statistically significant difference in sedation between any intervention and comparator. On the basis of six trials (n=695), 2.4% of participants receiving an NSAID experienced surgical-related bleeding compared with 0.4% with placebo. The MTC found that there is a decrease in 24 h morphine consumption when paracetamol, NSAID, or COX-2 inhibitors are given in addition to PCA morphine after surgery, with no clear difference between them. Similarly, the benefits in terms of reduction in morphine-related adverse effects do not strongly favour one of the three non-opioid analgesics.

The effect of ketorolac on postoperative febrile episodes in patients after abdominal myomectomy

OBJECTIVE

Our purpose was to determine whether administering the anti-inflammatory agent ketorolac after abdominal myomectomy reduces the incidence of febrile episodes.

STUDY DESIGN

This prospective, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical investigation compared administering ketorolac 15 mg intravenously every 6 hours beginning in the recovery room with saline solution administered in the same regimen in 122 patients undergoing abdominal myomectomy in a large, urban academic medical center. The primary outcome was fever >101.0 degrees F in the postoperative period. Results were analyzed by chi(2) analysis, independent samples t test, and logistic regression.

RESULTS

Data were analyzed on 112 patients, with 56 in the treatment group and 56 in the placebo group. After confounding factors were controlled with logistic regression, the data revealed a statistically significant reduction in febrile episodes in the ketorolac-treated group (27%) compared with the saline solution-treated group (41%) (P =.04).

CONCLUSION

Treatment with ketorolac after abdominal myomectomy results in a statistically significant reduction in the rate of febrile episodes.

Perioperative analgesia with non-steroidal analgesics

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are widely used for perioperative analgesia as a sole analgesic after minor surgical procedures and in combination with other types of analgesics after major surgery. The development and use of new selective cyclo-oxygenase-2 inhibitors hopefully reduce the likelihood of perioperative adverse effects that may prevent the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory analgesics in many patients. It remains to be determined, however, whether they can offer effective analgesia with minimal risks of side-effects in everyday clinical use.