Lack of efficacy of ketorolac tromethamine for analgesia on patients undergoing colonoscopy.

Ketorolac tromethamine (KT) is a new non-narcotic parenteral analgesic which lacks the respiratory depressant and hypotensive side effects of narcotics. Our aim was to determine whether KT can reduce requirements for narcotics and narcotic side effects in colonoscopy. In a randomized, double-blind trial, either intravenous KT (n = 30) or placebo (n = 30) was administered as a preprocedure analgesic to male patients undergoing colonoscopy. Patients who had pain during colonoscopy received supplemental diazepam and meperidine as required to maintain comfort. KT treatment did not affect patient comfort. No significant difference in the dose of diazepam or meperidine required was noted between the study and the placebo group, and there was no difference in the number of patients who required supplemental narcotics. The incidences of hypotension or arterial oxygen desaturation were similar in the KT- and placebo-treated patients. Ten patients in the KT group and four patients in the placebo group reported discomfort at the site of injection. We conclude that intravenous ketorolac tromethamine is no better than placebo as an analgesic premedication in colonoscopy.