The intraoperative administration of ketorolac tromethamine in evaluating length of stay in a same day surgery unit.
This study was performed to determine if intraoperative administration of ketorolac tromethamine, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, could shorten the length of stay in the same day surgery unit of a 535-bed medical center. Fifty laparoscopic patients were included in this study. Laparoscopic patients were chosen because they demonstrated an increased incidence of postoperative pain that delayed hospital discharge. The study population was divided into a test and control group. To eliminate procedural variability, the 50 subjects were chosen from a single group practice. Length of stay was recorded on a data retrieval form. Reasons for delay in discharge were identified. Subjects who received ketorolac tromethamine were discharged an average of 30 minutes earlier than those who did not receive it (94 minutes versus 124 minutes, respectively). A t-test revealed this difference to be statistically significant (P < or = .004). Intraoperative administration of ketorolac tromethamine should be considered for laparoscopy patients in same day surgery units, because criteria for discharge, such as stable vital signs, minimal nausea or vomiting, minimal pain, and oriented x 3 with a stable gait, are met sooner.
McLaughlin
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D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000556:Ambulatory Surgical Procedures; D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004338:Drug Combinations; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007430:Intraoperative Care; D020911:Ketorolac Tromethamine; D010535:Laparoscopy; D007902:Length of Stay; D008875:Middle Aged; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014046:Tolmetin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014325:Tromethamine / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000700:Analgesics; D004338:Drug Combinations; D014325:Tromethamine; D020911:Ketorolac Tromethamine; D014046:Tolmetin