Effect of ketorolac, ketoprofen and nefopam on platelet function

Abstract

Ketorolac, ketoprofen and nefopam are often used in the treatment of postoperative pain. While nefopam is a non-narcotic, non-opioid central analgesic agent, ketorolac and ketoprofen are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which, due to their prostaglandin-synthetase inhibiting activity, have antiplatelet effects. In this study we investigated the effect of ketorolac, ketoprofen and nefopam on platelet function by performing bleeding time and in vitro platelet aggregation in 30 healthy volunteers (10 for each treatment) before and 3 h after drug administration. Nefopam did not affect bleeding time and platelet aggregation, while ketorolac and ketoprofen significantly prolonged bleeding time without significantly inhibiting platelet aggregation in response to adenosine diphosphate. The prolongation of bleeding time observed after ketorolac and ketoprofen may have clinical relevance and suggests that nefopam could be more safely administered for the treatment of postoperative pain, especially in patients with haemostatic defects or after high bleeding risk surgery.