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.

Adverse Gastrointestinal Effects of Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs

There are a substantial number of adverse reactions attributable to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) therapy, particularly of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The stomach is most commonly affected, although injury may occur from esophagus to colon. The incidence of developing serious GI toxicity seems to be three times as great in users compared with nonusers of NSAIDs. Age greater than 60 years, history of GI problems, previous corticosteroid use, and recency of NSAID use seem to increase the risk of toxicity. Short-term studies have found differences in ulceration or bleeding caused by various NSAIDs. However, there are insufficient long-term clinical trials involving adequate numbers of patients to demonstrate substantial advantages for any particular NSAID based on its toxicity profile. Prostaglandin inhibition seems to be one mechanism responsible for the GI toxicity of NSAIDs, but it is probably not the only mechanism. When serious GI bleeding occurs, the NSAID use must be stopped, although omeprazole and misoprostol have been used successfully to treat gastroduodenal ulcerations in patients while continuing NSAID therapy. Misoprostol and possibly omeprazole have effectively prevented GI ulceration associated with NSAID therapy, but questions remain regarding patient selection, length of therapy, and their utility in preventing serious GI bleeding. At this time, routine prophylaxis for patients receiving long-term NSAID therapy cannot be recommended.