To compare the efficacy of ketorolac and pethidine for postoperative pain relief in first 24 hours after tonsillectomy

Objectives: to compare the efficacy of ketorolac and pethidine for postoperative pain relief in first 24 hours after tonsillectomy. patients & methods: this comparative study was conducted at anaesthesia department pgmi hayatabad medical complex,peshawar between december,2004 to may 2005. one hundred patients age 5-12 years under going tonsillectomy were divided into group a and b randomly,who received either inj. ketorolac 0.5mg/kg or inj. pethidine 1mg/kg i/m respectively postoperatively on 6 hourly bases. patients were assessed in recovery room and ent ward for pain according to faces pain scale and for any side effects. amount of rescue analgesia required by both groups were also recorded. results: the faces pain scale score showed both the drugs to be equally effective in pain relief with no significant difference. however,significantly decreased incidence of nausea,vomiting and sedation was found in ketorolac group. conclusion: ketorolac provides similar analgesic effects as pethidine in the doses mentioned above with much less incidence of nausea vomiting and drowsiness in first 24 hours after tonsillectomy.