The use of a tourniquet can produce pain and cause increased blood pressure. Ketorolac is known to have analgesic effects at the peripheral and central levels, however, its effect on the increased blood pressure due to a tourniquet is unknown. Therefore, the effects of ketorolac on the tourniquet-induced changes in the systolic, and diastolic blood pressures (SBP & DBP), as well as the heart rate (HR), were investigated.

ASA physical status I and II patients, who were scheduled for knee arthroscopic surgery using a tourniquet, were assigned to control (n = 20), K30 (n = 20) and K60 groups (n = 20). Anesthesia was maintained with enflurane, N₂O and O₂. Either 30 or 60 mg ketorolac was injected 10 min prior to tourniquet inflation in both the K30 and K60 groups. The changes in the SBP, DBP and HR were measured before and 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 min after tourniquet inflation.

There were no differences in the baseline SBP, DBP, and HR values. The SBP was higher than the baseline value at 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 min in the control and at 30, 40, 50, and 60 min in the K30 groups, but only at 60 min in the K60 group. At 60 min, the SBP was lower in the K60 than the control group. The DBP was higher than the baseline value at 50, and 60 min in the control, but not in the ketorolac groups.

A 60 mg ketorolac injection prior to tourniquet inflation can attenuate the tourniquet induced increase in blood pressure in knee arthroscopic surgery patients.