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Published on: January 20, 2023
Ketamine Use in Acute Brain Injury: Debunking the Myth
Steven Haywood1, Rylee Pence2, Vishnu Mudrakola3
1Department of Emergency Medicine, Emergency Medicine Residency, Magnolia Regional Health Center in Corinth, MS, USA.
Abstract:
The teaching that ketamine should be avoided in patients suffering from a traumatic brain injury (TBI) has been a long-held dogma due to a fear of increased intracranial pressure (ICP). However, this recommendation was not based on data in patients with TBI. Ketamine holds several neuroprotective properties that may be beneficial in this group of patients. Additionally, in contemporary studies that were better controlled, ketamine has not been shown to significantly increase ICP in patients with TBI. In fact, ketamine may decrease ICP and increase cerebral perfusion pressure.
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