Clinical Uses of Low-Dose Ketamine in Patients Undergoing Surgery

Publisher: Bentham Science Publishers

E-ISSN: 1873-5592|10|8|707-715

ISSN: 1389-4501

Source: Current Drug Targets, Vol.10, Iss.8, 2009-08, pp. : 707-715

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Abstract

Ketamine acts mainly as a N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAr) antagonist. Originally developed as a general anesthetic, it is now seldom employed as such in richer countries due to the relatively high risk of psychotomimetic adverse effects. Recently, low-dose regimens in the range of 0.25-0.5 mg/kg as an initial bolus followed by 50-500 μg/kg/h have been proposed as an adjuvant for postoperative analgesia and for the reduction of exogenous opioid-induced hyperalgesia. In this review, we examine the evidence for clinical usefulness of perioperative ketamine infusion and its role in the context of general and/or regional anesthesia.