S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 8 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y. N E T • 2 1
8 Little-Known Facts About Ketamine
Anesthetic and analgesic properties that make Special K special.
K
etamine's
reputation as a
date rape and
party drug might scare
your anesthesia
providers off from using
it. And that's a shame.
Besides inducing
anesthesia, ketamine
also has significant
analgesic properties.
When administered at
low doses before or
during surgery, ketamine
provides great intra- and
post-op pain control —
without hallucinations.
Plus, it's a non-opioid
that reduces morphine
consumption and
decreases pain scores.
And unlike general
anesthetics, ketamine
won't cause a patient to
stop breathing by suppressing the respiratory reflex.
Yes, there's a lot to like about ketamine. First, though, you must help
your anesthesia providers and surgeons get past ketamine's "Special
K" reputation. These talking points might help.
Anesthesia Alert
Arun Kalava, MD, DABA
• CLINICAL UTILITY Ketamine is known as a popular recreational drug, but
many studies support the role of sub-anesthetic ketamine as an anesthetic and
an analgesic, says Arun Kalava, MD, DABA.
