Evaluation of Antinociceptive and Anti-inflammatory Effects of Ketorolac Ester Prodrugs in Rats

Evaluation of Antinociceptive and Anti-inflammatory Effects of Ketorolac Ester Prodrugs in Rats

Over the past century pain management has gone through revolutionary innovations with the clini-cal use of systemic and neuraxial opioids, patient- controlled analgesia, improved regional local anesthetic techniques, and nonopioid analgesic therapies such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). In the current management of severe postoperative pain, opioids continue to play a major role1 despite the fact that they may contribute to increased in-hospital mor-bidity and cost, 2, 3 and place the postoperative patients at significantly high risk for unwarranted opioid-related side effects. These side effects include postoperative nausea and vomiting, gastrointestinal upsets, bladder dysfunction, drowsiness and respiratory depression.4,5