Postoperative analgesia with ketorolac is associated with decreased mortality after isolated coronary artery bypass graft surgery in patients already receiving aspirin: a propensity-matched study.

OBJECTIVE

This study was designed to determine the effect of ketorolac on mortality after cardiac surgery.

DESIGN

A retrospective multivariable analysis with propensity matching and propensity scoring.

SETTING

A tertiary care university-affiliated medical center.

PARTICIPANT

Eleven hundred eighty-six patients undergoing isolated coronary artery bypass surgery.

MAIN RESULTS

Between January 1, 2002, and November 1, 2004, 168 patients undergoing isolated coronary artery bypass surgery received ketorolac, whereas 1,018 patients did not. There were 2 deaths (1%) in the ketorolac group compared with 104 (10%) in the nonketorolac group (p < 0.001). Within 90 days of surgery, there was 1 death (1%) in the ketorolac group compared with 51 (5%) in the nonketorolac group (p = 0.01). By Cox modeling, ketorolac use was associated with a 7-fold lower risk of death (p = 0.02). In the patients who survived at least 90 days, there was 1 death (1%) in the ketorolac group compared with 53 (5%) in the nonketorolac group (p = 0.01). By Cox modeling, ketorolac use was associated with a 2.4-fold lower risk of death (p = 0.03) in the late hazard period. In the propensity-matched groups, Kaplan-Meier survival was better in patients who received ketorolac (p = 0.02).

CONCLUSION

The use of ketorolac was associated with a statistically significant decrease in mortality at follow-up.