FURI | Spring 2020

Investigating Factors to Provide Sustained Release of Ketorolac in Temperature-Responsive Hydrogels

Local delivery of anesthetics are a safer alternative to postoperative pain management than opioids, which can have addictive and dangerous side-effects. This research aimed to address postoperative pain via sustained, localized release of the ketorolac using temperature-responsive gel formulations. Hydrogels containing ketorolac were administered in five release studies at body temperature (37°C). In addition, cloudpoint tests to determine lower critical solution temperatures and NMR characterization were performed on polymer formulations.  Results suggest N-isopropylacrylamide copolymerized with diethylaminoethyl methacrylate does have potential for improving local delivery of ketorolac.