A quasi-experimental study revealed that both intravenous (IV) Paracetamol and IV Ketorolac show comparable analgesic effects in renal colic patients, without any considerable difference in adverse effects or the requirement for rescue analgesia. The researchers intended to assess the impact of IV Paracetamol and IV Ketorolac on pain control in people presenting with renal colic at the emergency department.

The study involved 80 participants who were segregated into 2 groups: one received 1 g IV Paracetamol (Paracetamol-Group), while the other received 30 mg IV Ketorolac (Ketorolac-Group). The effects were evaluated by measuring changes in the visual analogue scale (VAS) scores prior to and post-administration of the analgesia. Vital signs were recorded both before and after drug administration, and observations were made for any adverse effects or the need for rescue analgesia (Nalbuphine). In cases where supplementary pain relief was necessary, 100 mg IV Nalbuphine was utilized as the rescue drug.

The mean age of the patients in the Ketorolac Group was 37.60±14.56 years, whereas the Paracetamol Group patients had a mean age of 43.2 ± 16.05 years. No statistically significant distinction was observed in the decrease in the intensity of pain after administering the medication within the study groups. Furthermore, the need for rescue analgesia and adverse effects were found to be similar between both groups. Thus, both Paracetamol and Ketorolac exhibit similar pain-relieving effects in cases of renal colic.