Efficacy and safety of nonpreserved ketorolac ophthalmic solution in postoperative ocular pain following radial keratotomy.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the efficacy and safety of nonpreserved ketorolac tromethamine 0.5% ophthalmic solution in relieving pain following radial keratotomy (RK).


METHODS
Multicenter clinical trial.


METHODS
Topical ketorolac was compared with its vehicle in a double-masked, randomized, parallel-group study involving 170 RK patients. Patients were treated with nonpreserved ketorolac 0.5% ophthalmic solution or the vehicle 4 times daily beginning immediately after surgery and continuing for 3 days or until they no longer had ocular pain.


RESULTS
At several intervals, patients treated with ketorolac reported significantly greater pain relief and less pain intensity than patients treated with the vehicle. The time required for patients to first report "complete relief" or "no pain" was shorter in the ketorolac than in the vehicle group (P < or = .006). Patients in the ketorolac group used less escape medication (acetaminophen) (P < or = .001) and had fewer sleep difficulties (P < or = .031), fewer symptoms of ocular discomfort (P < or = .028), and less difficulty performing activities of daily living (P = .048). Patients treated with ketorolac experienced the same low rate of treatment-related adverse events as those treated with the vehicle and exhibited the same improvement in visual acuity and manifest refraction.


CONCLUSIONS
Nonpreserved ketorolac tromethamine 0.5% ophthalmic solution was significantly more effective than, and as safe as, the vehicle in alleviating the postoperative pain associated with RK. This resulted in significant improvements in patient quality of life and less need for oral analgesics, suggesting that topical ketorolac is an appropriate treatment option for ocular pain following RK.
Brint
S F
SF
Eye Surgery Center of Louisiana, New Orleans, USA.
Cheetham
J K
JK
DeGryse
R
R
Abel
M L
ML
Thompson
V M
VM
Rosenthal
A
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D018712:Analgesics, Non-Narcotic / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007646:Keratotomy, Radial / Q000009:adverse effects*; D020911:Ketorolac Tromethamine; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D011310:Preservatives, Pharmaceutical; D011788:Quality of Life; D012449:Safety; D014046:Tolmetin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014325:Tromethamine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use
D018712:Analgesics, Non-Narcotic; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions; D011310:Preservatives, Pharmaceutical; D014325:Tromethamine; D020911:Ketorolac Tromethamine; D014046:Tolmetin