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Postoperative analgesia in PLID surgery: Evaluating intravenous paracetamol and ketorolac

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Created On: 31/10/2026

Successfull postoperative pain management is crucial following prolapsed lumbar intervertebral disc (PLID) surgery.

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Key take away

Intravenous paracetamol (15 mg/kg) shows comparable analgesic efficacy and hemodynamic stability to intravenous ketorolac (2 mg/kg) for managing postoperative pain following prolapsed lumbar intervertebral disc surgery.

Background

Successfull postoperative pain management is crucial following prolapsed lumbar intervertebral disc (PLID) surgery. Intravenous (IV) paracetamol offers a non-opioid analgesic option, while ketorolac, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), helps tackle postoperative pain through its anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects. This study explored the analgesic efficacy of IV paracetamol and IV ketorolac to determine their efficiency in controlling postoperative pain after PLID surgery.

Method

In this prospective randomized study, investigators compared postoperative analgesia in 60 patients undergoing PLID surgery. Subjects were allocated to two groups:

Paracetamol group (n=30): Received IV paracetamol (1 g/100 mL) at a dose of 15 mg/kg, infused over 15 minutes postoperatively.
Ketorolac group (n=30): Received IV ketorolac (100 mg) at a dose of 2 mg/kg postoperatively.

Primary outcome measures included visual analogue scale (VAS) pain scores, while secondary measures monitored perioperative hemodynamic parameters.

Result

Both groups had comparable baseline characteristics. The mean age was 47.60 ± 10.32 years in the paracetamol group and 45.20 ± 14.75 years in the ketorolac group; mean body weight was 66.65 ± 8.13 kg and 65.32 ± 9.44 kg, respectively. Postoperative VAS pain scores were reported as similar between groups (Figure 1).

Haemodynamic parameters, including heart rate, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure, displayed no prominent between-group differences. Postoperative analgesic requirements were also comparable. Patient satisfaction scores during the first 24 hours were 71 in the paracetamol group and 73 in the ketorolac group.

Conclusion

IV paracetamol exhibited analgesic potency equivalent to IV ketorolac, offering a reliable, safe, and effective non-opioid alternative for postoperative analgesia following PLID surgery.