A systematic review of 60 studies on ketamine for depression found that after a single dose, psychiatric, psychotomimetic, cardiovascular, neurological, and other side effects were reported more often with ketamine than with placebo. The review identified a selective reporting bias: long-term safety and repeated-dose effects were poorly assessed in depression patients, even though such data exist for other groups (e.g., chronic pain patients and recreational users). The authors recommend large-scale trials with multiple doses and long-term follow-up to evaluate the safety of regular ketamine use.
Ketamine and its derivatives are increasingly used for treatment-resistant depression, but they can cause side effects during and between treatment sessions. The Ketamine Side Effect Tool (KSET) was designed to monitor these effects, but its length limited its use in clinics. Using retrospective data from three outpatient services, researchers calculated how often side effects occurred within sessions, between sessions, and at follow-up. They then developed a shorter version, the KSET-Revised (KSET-R), which showed good construct and concurrent validity for specific items and an overall tolerability rating. The revised tool is more feasible for clinical practice and is recommended for monitoring side effects in patients receiving ketamine treatment.