Premedication for outpatient adenoidectomy: comparison between ketamine and pethidine

A comparison of intramuscular ketamine and pethidine as premedicants was carried out in a series of 32 children under two years of age who were given thiopentone-N2O-O2-succinyl choline anesthesia for elective outpatient adenoidectomy. Fourteen (87.5%) of the 16 children premedicated with ketamine (3 mg./kg.) were calm or asleep when brought into the operating room as compared to 4 (25.0%) of the 16 children (p less than 0.001) premedicated with pethidine (1 mg/kg.). Immediate recovery was similar in the groups premedicated with ketamine and pethidine. These two small groups of children did not differ significantly in their emotional state during recovery room observation, nor during the 48 postoperative hours at home, either. It is suggested that ketamine administered intramuscularly is a suitable agent for outpatient premedication of small children because of its rapid action, excellent sedative and analgesic properties and low incidence of side-effects.