Ketamine
Trade names

Ketalar

Ketamine.svg
Clinical data
Drug class

Sedative hypnotic

Uses

Induction and maintenance of anesthesia, sedation, analgesia

Contraindications
  • <3 months old
  • Situations where elevated blood pressure or myocardial oxygen demand would be dangerous
  • Schizophrenia
  • Use controversial with elevated ICP or IOP
Routes of administration

IV, IM, IN, PO, PR

Dosage

Induction of anesthesia:

  • IV: 1-2 mg/kg
  • IM: 4-6 mg/kg
  • IN: 3-6 mg/kg

Subdissociative analgesia:

  • IV: 0.1-0.3 mg/kg, then 0.1 mg/kg/hr
Pharmacodynamics
Mechanism of action

NMDA antagonism

Adverse effects

Laryngospasm Hypersalivation Emesis Emergence reaction

Pharmacokinetics
Onset of action
  • IV: 15-30 seconds
  • IM: 3-5 minutes
Duration of action
  • IV: 5-10 minutes
  • IM: 12-30 minutes (residual 0.5-2 hours)
  • PO: 1-6+ hours
Metabolism

Liver (CYP3A4, CYP2B6)

Elimination half-life

2.5-3 hours

Protein binding

23-47%

Physical and chemical data
Formula

C13H16ClNO

Molar mass

237.73 g/mol

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Ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic used for the induction of anesthesia, procedural sedation, and as an analgesic adjunct.

Uses

Contraindications

Absolute contraindications

Precautions

Pharmacology

Pharmacodynamics

Mechanism of action

Adverse effects

Pharmacokinetics

Chemistry and formulation

History

References