https://doi.org/10.4081/ecj.2024.12166
Four good reasons to choose ketamine in the emergency department. A case series and literature review
Submitted: 8 December 2023
Accepted: 19 January 2024
Published: 1 February 2024
Accepted: 19 January 2024
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All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
Authors
Ketamine is a fast-acting N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist that can be used in a range of clinical scenarios in the pre-hospital setting and emergency department (ED). When compared with other anesthetic agents, ketamine has many unique properties, such as the ability to produce dose-dependent analgesic and anesthetic effects with a wide margin of safety. Ketamine may be used in the ED for sedation, pain management, and acute agitation treatment in the cases of benzodiazepine (BDZ)-resistant alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS) and substance use disorder. To highlight the efficacy and safety of ketamine, we reviewed the literature, starting with a description of four different cases of patients who presented to our ED and were treated with ketamine.
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How to Cite
Belviso, F., Poggiali, E., Ioannilli, E., Bastoni, D., Stamate, M., Vercelli, A., & Riccardi, A. (2024). Four good reasons to choose ketamine in the emergency department. A case series and literature review. Emergency Care Journal, 20(1). https://doi.org/10.4081/ecj.2024.12166
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