Effect of pretreatment with ketorolac tromethamine on operative pain during periodontal surgery: A case-control study

BACKGROUND: The efficacy of a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agent, ketorolac tromethamine, was evaluated in pain control after periodontal surgery. This type of agent acts peripherally by inhibiting the release of prostaglandins and minimizing the local inflammatory response. Thus, there may be an advantage in pretreatment administration of ketorolac tromethamine, 10 mg, compared with placebo on operative pain during periodontal surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two groups of 40 outpatients from the Department of Periodontology, Darshan Dental College and Hospital, Udaipur, were selected for this study. Patients who were to undergo periodontal surgery were randomly given either one group 10 mg ketorolac immediately before surgery or the other group placebo tablets at least 30 minutes before administration of local anesthesia (LA). All procedures were performed under LA, and the total volume of anesthetic used was recorded. The duration of surgery from the time of incision to the placement of the last suture was recorded. At the completion of the surgery, patients were supplied with printed record forms and were asked to rate their subjective operative pain intensity using a visual analog scale. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: The data were analyzed using the student t test. RESULTS: Results indicated that preoperative treatment with ketorolac significantly reduced initial pain intensity of operative pain as compared with placebo. No adverse reactions related to preoperative medication were observed. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study showed that 10-mg ketorolac administered immediately before periodontal surgery was effective for alleviating the operative painful sequelae.