[Ketamine--a suitable agent for emergency situations (author's transl)]

Various surgical procedures have been performed using ketamine alone (Group I) or ketamine-relaxant-air anaesthesia (Group II). In all patients we observed a significant rise in systolic and diastolic blood pressure and pulse rate. The intraoperative values showed a tendency to return to normal. Ten minutes after injection 2 mg/kg body-weight i.v., ketamine caused a significant reduction in arterial PO2 and oxygen saturation as well as a significant rise in arterial PCO2, though these changes were of no clinical importance. In both groups the intraoperative values were normal as compared to the preoperative level. In all cases base excess reflecting the metabolic side of blood gas analysis was within normal range. Based on our findings we recommend the use of ketamine as a sole anesthetic agent for IPPB ventilated as well as spontaneously breathing patients in disaster situations.