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Ketamine mouthwash for mucositis pain
Andrew Joseph Ryan1, Faith Lin, Rabia Samady Atayee
1Department of Pharmacy, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92037-1300, USA. anryan@ucsd.edu
Purpose:
Our objective was to determine if an oral ketamine swish and expectorate was a safe and effective method to alleviate mucositis pain.
Methods:
A retrospective chart audit was preformed on eight patients who received ketamine mouthwash (20 mg/5 mL) for refractory mucositis pain.
Results:
All eight patients had mucositis pain refractory to a mucositis mixture (lidocaine, magnesium/aluminum hydroxide, and diphenhydramine) and opioids. An improvement in mucositis pain was seen in over half (5/8) of the patients. Four of eight patients had adverse effects that could have been associated with the ketamine mouthwash; all side effects were transient and subsided when the ketamine mouthwash was stopped.
Conclusion:
Ketamine swish and expectorate may be a viable treatment option in refractory mucositis pain.
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