Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 29, 2026
07:51
A Protocol for Measuring Cue Reactivity in a Rat Model of Cocaine Use Disorder
Published on: June 18, 2018
[Ketamine is used again by both physicians and addicts]
Anne Grønborg Sørensen1, Steen Barnung, Lars Simon Rasmussen
1Anæstesiafdelingen, Køge Sygehus, Denmark. annegronborg@gmail.com
Ugeskrift for Laeger
|September 3, 2011
Summary
Ketamine offers unique hypnotic and analgesic effects with minimal cardiopulmonary depression, making it valuable for prehospital anesthesia and pain management. However, increasing recreational use presents new challenges for emergency departments due to ketamine abuse symptoms.
Area of Science:
- Anesthesiology
- Pharmacology
- Emergency Medicine
Context:
- Ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic with a unique pharmacological profile.
- Its minimal cardiopulmonary depression makes it suitable for prehospital and emergency settings.
- Emerging evidence highlights its utility in managing acute and chronic pain, including anti-hyperalgesic and opioid-sparing effects.
Purpose:
- To review the multifaceted applications and challenges associated with ketamine.
- To discuss its anesthetic properties, pain management potential, and side effects.
- To address the growing concern of ketamine abuse in recreational settings.
Summary:
- Ketamine provides anesthesia with hypnotic and analgesic properties, alongside potential hallucinogenic effects.
- Its safety profile regarding cardiopulmonary function supports its use in prehospital care.
- Recent research indicates ketamine's efficacy in managing post-operative and chronic pain, reducing opioid requirements.
- Conversely, increasing recreational ketamine use poses significant challenges for emergency departments due to acute and chronic abuse symptoms.
Impact:
- Provides a comprehensive overview of ketamine's clinical utility in anesthesia and pain management.
- Highlights the critical need for awareness and management strategies for ketamine abuse.
- Informs clinicians about the evolving role of ketamine in modern medicine and public health.
Related Concept Videos
01:24Parenteral Anesthetics: Overview
Intravenous anesthetics are drugs administered parenterally to induce anesthesia or sedation. Propofol is a widely used agent formulated as a 1% emulsion in soybean oil, glycerol, and egg phosphatide. It induces rapid anesthesia primarily due to its rapid distribution from the bloodstream to target tissues and is metabolized in the liver. However, it can cause significant pain on injection and hypertriglyceridemia. Fospropofol, a water-based prodrug of propofol, lacks these adverse effects.
01:14CNS Depressants: Barbiturates and Benzodiazepines
CNS depressants include drugs from the category of barbiturates and benzodiazepines. They are valuable medications for managing anxiety disorders and insomnia. Barbiturates, once used to induce and maintain sleep, have been replaced mainly by benzodiazepines due to barbiturate's toxicity, tolerance, and overdose risks. They interact with GABAA receptors, leading to sedation at low doses and potentially coma and death at higher doses. Phenobarbital, a long-acting barbiturate, possesses...
01:17Sedatives and Hypnotics Drugs: Miscellaneous Agents
Sedatives and hypnotics encompass a wide range of substances, each with its unique mechanism of action, uses, and potential adverse effects.
Melatonin congeners like ramelteon (Rozerem) and tasimelteon (Hetlioz) selectively bind to melatonin receptors (MT1 and MT2) and thus mimic the actions of melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep-wake cycles. Tasimelteon is primarily used for non-24-hour sleep-wake disorder, common in blind patients. They are also used to treat conditions like insomnia...
Melatonin congeners like ramelteon (Rozerem) and tasimelteon (Hetlioz) selectively bind to melatonin receptors (MT1 and MT2) and thus mimic the actions of melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep-wake cycles. Tasimelteon is primarily used for non-24-hour sleep-wake disorder, common in blind patients. They are also used to treat conditions like insomnia...
01:20Sedatives and Hypnotics Drugs: Barbiturates
Sedatives and hypnotics encompass a drug class that acts on the central nervous system (CNS) to alleviate anxiety, promote relaxation and induce sleep.These drugs function by amplifying the actions of the neurotransmitter γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), resulting in reduced neuronal activity. Barbiturates, a subset of sedatives and hypnotics first synthesized in the late 1800s, are categorized into ultra-short, short, intermediate, and long-acting groups based on their duration of effect. A key...
01:28Depressants
Depressant drugs, including alcohol and sedative-hypnotics, diminish central nervous system activity by enhancing the action of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a neurotransmitter that reduces brain activity and promotes relaxation. These substances can have various therapeutic uses but also pose significant risks, especially when misused or combined.
Alcohol is a common depressant that can induce a sense of relaxation and reduced inhibition at low doses. Contrary to its occasional...
Alcohol is a common depressant that can induce a sense of relaxation and reduced inhibition at low doses. Contrary to its occasional...
01:19Sedatives and Hypnotics Drugs: Benzodiazepines
Benzodiazepines have both sedative and hypnotic properties. They include compounds such as diazepam (Valium) and alprazolam (Xanax). Structurally, their cores are similar, consisting of the fusion of a benzene ring and a diazepine ring, but they share a common mechanism of action in the central nervous system (CNS).
Benzodiazepines work by enhancing the effects of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA. They bind to the GABAA receptor, increasing its affinity for GABA, which opens chloride...
Benzodiazepines work by enhancing the effects of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA. They bind to the GABAA receptor, increasing its affinity for GABA, which opens chloride...