• S W Wright, R L Norris, and T R Mitchell.
• Division of Emergency Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN.
• Ann Emerg Med. 1992 Aug 1;21(8):925-8.

Study ObjectiveTo determine if a single dose of intramuscular ketorolac given on presentation to the emergency department has a narcotic-sparing effect in adult patients with sickle cell vaso-occlusive crisis pain.DesignA prospective, randomized, single-dose, double-blind study.SettingED of a university hospital and an affiliated county hospital.Type Of ParticipantsEighteen adult patients who presented to the ED with sickle cell crisis pain a total of 24 times.InterventionsPatients were randomized to receive either ketorolac 60 mg IM or placebo on presentation to the ED. Subjects were administered meperidine on presentation and then received a standardized dose of meperidine every 30 minutes during the four-hour observation period based on the severity of pain.Measurements And Main ResultsThe 12 subjects in the ketorolac group received an average of 231 +/- 92 mg meperidine, whereas the 12 subjects in the placebo group received an average meperidine dose of 250 +/- 85 mg (P = .61).ConclusionThe use of intramuscular ketorolac did not lead to a clinically significant reduction in the requirement for narcotics during the four-hour ED treatment period.

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