Does perioperative ketorolac increase bleeding risk after intracapsular tonsillectomy?

Importance: Conflicting evidence exists regarding the post-tonsillectomy bleed risk associated with perioperative ketorolac use in the pediatric population. Surgical technique for tonsillectomy can further confound this risk.

Objective: The primary objective was to retrospectively quantify the post-tonsillectomy bleed rate after single-dose administration of ketorolac in pediatric patients following intracapsular tonsillectomy. The secondary objective was to determine if age, sex, body mass index, medical comorbidities, and indication for surgery increased post-tonsillectomy bleed risk.

Design: Retrospective cohort study of 1920 children who underwent intracapsular tonsillectomies between January 2017 and December 2018.

Setting: This study was completed at a tertiary-care pediatric referral center.

Participants: 1920 children who underwent intracapsular tonsillectomies between January 2017 and December 2018 at a single tertiary-care children's hospital.

Exposures: Patients were divided into two cohorts: 1458 patients (75.9%) received ketorolac (K+), and 462 (24.1%) did not (NK). Age, sex, body mass index, comorbidities, and indication for surgery also were evaluated for association with post-tonsillectomy bleed risk.

Main outcome(s) and measure(s): Primary study outcome for both cohorts was post-tonsillectomy hemorrhage requiring operative intervention.

Results: 1920 study participants were included with an average age of 6.5 years; 51.5% of participants were males; and, 63.9% were white. Overall, the postoperative bleeding rate was 1.5%. However, there was no significant difference when comparing bleeding rates for the ketorolac group and the non-keterolac group (1.4%-1.7%; P = .82) Age, chronic tonsillitis, higher body mass index Z-scores, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and behavioral diagnoses were statistically significant risk factors for post-tonsillectomy hemorrhage.

Conclusions and relevance: Single-dose postoperative ketorolac does not appear to be associated with increased risk of post-tonsillectomy bleed in pediatric patients undergoing intracapsular tonsillectomy. Providers should not avoid using ketorolac in patients undergoing intracapsular tonsillectomy due to concerns over bleeding risk.