Gastrointestinal complications associated with intramuscular ketorolac tromethamine therapy in the elderly

OBJECTIVE: To report 3 cases of gastrointestinal (GI) complications associated with the use of intramuscular ketorolac tromethamine therapy in elderly patients. CASE SUMMARIES: In case 1, an 88-year-old woman was taken to surgery for the management of an acute abdomen and repair of a 2+ cm perforated prepyloric gastric ulcer. The patient had received a total 16 doses of ketorolac 30 mg im. The patient died after surgery from complications associated with bacterial and candidal sepsis, as well as acute renal failure. In case 2, an 80-year-old woman with no known history of GI problems developed a prepyloric gastric ulcer, which perforated and penetrated into the pancreas after the patient received 13 doses of ketorolac 30 mg im. The patient died from complications associated with candidal sepsis, peritonitis, and cardiopulmonary collapse. In case 3, an 85-year-old man with a history of a gastric ulcer developed GI bleeding after receiving a total of 9 doses of ketorolac 30 mg im. The bleeding was stabilized and the patient was discharged 12 days later in stable condition. DISCUSSION: Ketorolac tromethamine is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug with potent analgesic properties. We report 3 cases of GI complications associated with intramuscular ketorolac therapy in the elderly. A temporal relationship was established with the development of gastric ulceration in 2 patients and the recurrence of a gastric ulcer in the third patient. CONCLUSIONS: We recommend that the manufacturer's guidelines be followed when ketorolac is used in elderly patients, and the drug should not be used in patients with a history of gastric ulcer disease. The use of misoprostol may be warranted as prophylactic therapy in high-risk patients who are receiving ketorolac.

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				M. M. Wolfe, D. R. Lichtenstein, and G. Singh Gastrointestinal Toxicity of Nonsteroidal Antiinflammatory Drugs N. Engl. J. Med., June 17, 1999; 340(24): 1888 - 1899. [Full Text] [PDF]