Near‐Death Experience During Emergency Ketamine Use: A Case Report

Pauline Fritz; Anaïs Pichelin; Aurore Ancion; Naji Alnagger; Nicolas Lejeune; Alexandre Ghuysen; Olivia Gosseries; Charlotte Martial

doi:10.1002/brb3.70939

Near‐Death Experience During Emergency Ketamine Use: A Case Report

Pauline Fritz, Anaïs Pichelin, Aurore Ancion, Naji Alnagger, Nicolas Lejeune, Alexandre Ghuysen, Olivia Gosseries, Charlotte Martial

Brain and Behavior October 1, 2025 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.70939 (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract

Characteristics	Case study Case report Peer reviewed
Sample size	1
Population	A patient who had a near-death experience
Topics	Esketamine Ketamine Near-death experience
Citations	2
Key findings	Near-death experiences can produce lasting transformations in patients, making their recognition important for medical practice.

Abstract

This case, set within its medical and pharmacological context, provides a unique opportunity to study NDEs and their precipitating context. The reported transformations underscore the importance of recognizing NDEs for their possible long-term effects on patients and relevance to medical practice.

Comparable studies

Other case reports and case series on ketamine, most cited first.

Study	Year	Design	Participants
The destruction of the lower urinary tract by ketamine abuse: a new syndrome? Young recreational abusers of street-ketamine in Hong Kong referred to urology units	2008	Retrospective case series	n = 59
Electroconvulsive Therapy, Ketamine, and Esketamine in a Patient with Major Depressive Disorder and Multiple Comorbidities: A Case Report over 10-year Treatment from Adolescence to Adulthood. A patient with treatment-resistant depression and comorbid generalized anxiety...	2025	Case report	n = 1
Treatment of compulsive behaviour in eating disorders with intermittent ketamine infusions Chronic and treatment-resistant eating disorder patients	1998	Case series	n = 15
Oral Administration of the NMDA Receptor Antagonist S-Ketamine as Add-On Therapy of Depression: A Case Series Four depressed patients taking standard antidepressants	2009	Case series	n = 4
A longitudinal case series of IM ketamine for patients with severe and enduring eating disorders and comorbid treatment‐resistant depression Patients with enduring eating disorders and treatment-resistant depression	2021	Case series	n = 4

Citations in the library

Cited by 2

Cites 23

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