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Ketamine: new uses for an old drug
J C Granry1, L Dube, H Turroques
1Département d'Anesthésie Réanimation, CHU Angers, Angers, France. JCGranry@chu-angers.fr
Current Opinion in Anaesthesiology
|October 4, 2006
Summary
Ketamine is increasingly recognized for its analgesic properties in pediatric anesthesia and intensive care. New research highlights its expanded use in adults, particularly for pain management during procedures and post-operatively.
Area of Science:
- Anesthesiology
- Pharmacology
- Pediatric Medicine
Background:
- Ketamine has a long history of use in pediatric anesthesia.
- Recent research has elucidated ketamine's central mechanisms of action and isomer pharmacology.
- This has prompted a re-evaluation of its therapeutic potential.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the current applications of ketamine in pediatric anesthesiology.
- To discuss the expanded indications for ketamine in adult pain management.
- To highlight ketamine's role as an analgesic in various clinical settings.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of ketamine's applications in pediatric anesthesia.
- Analysis of recent pharmacological and mechanistic studies.
- Synthesis of evidence for ketamine's analgesic efficacy.
Main Results:
- Ketamine is effective in brief diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.
- Its use is beneficial in the post-operative period for neonates and infants.
- Ketamine is valuable in pediatric anesthesia and intensive care settings.
Conclusions:
- Ketamine remains a vital agent in pediatric anesthesiology.
- Emerging understanding supports broader applications, including adult analgesia.
- Ketamine offers versatile analgesic benefits across pediatric and adult care.
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