Kurdi MS, Theerth KA, Deva RS, et al.
Anesthesia, essays and researches. Date of publication 2014 Sep 1;volume 8(3):283-90.
1. Anesth Essays Res. 2014 Sep-Dec;8(3):283-90. doi: 10.4103/0259-1162.143110.
Ketamine: Current applications in anesthesia, pain, and critical care.
Kurdi MS(1), Theerth KA(1), Deva RS(1).
Author information:
(1)Department of Anaesthesiology, Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences, Hubli,
Karnataka, India.
Ketamine was introduced commercially in 1970 with the manufacturer's description
as a "rapidly acting, nonbarbiturate general anesthetic" and a suggestion that it
would be useful for short procedures. With the help of its old unique
pharmacological properties and newly found beneficial clinical properties,
ketamine has survived the strong winds of time, and it currently has a wide
variety of clinical applications. It's newly found neuroprotective,
antiinflammatory and antitumor effects, and the finding of the usefulness of low
dose ketamine regimens have helped to widen the clinical application profile of
ketamine. The present article attempts to review the current useful applications
of ketamine in anesthesia, pain and critical care. It is based on scientific
evidence gathered from textbooks, journals, and electronic databases.
DOI: 10.4103/0259-1162.143110
PMCID: PMC4258981
PMID: 25886322
