Ketamine - An Imperfect Wonder Drug?
Tanner Magruder, Marielle Isenhart, Maximillian V Striepe, Andrew Mannisto, Karry M Jannie, Jolene Smith, Kenneth E McCarson, Daniel T Christian, Vanja Duric
Biochemical Pharmacology November 1, 2024 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2024.116516 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Ketamine Esketamine |
| Keywords | Abuse Analgesia Antidepressant Hallucinogen Ketamine/special k/nmda antagonist Anesthesia/anaesthesia/surgical sedation Mental health/psychiatry/depression treatment |
| Citations | 8 |
| Key findings | Ketamine has a wide range of clinical uses beyond anesthesia, including management of acute and chronic pain and treatment of psychiatric disorders such as major depression, while also being a common drug of abuse. |
Abstract
Ketamine is a potent sedative and dissociative anesthetic agent that has been used clinically for over 50 years since it was first developed in the 1960 s as an alternative to phencyclidine (PCP). When compared to PCP, ketamine exhibited a much lower incidence of severe side effects, including hallucinations, leading to its increased popularity in clinical practice. Ketamine was initially used as an anesthetic agent, especially in emergency medicine and in surgical procedures where rapid induction and recovery was necessary. However, over the last few decades, ketamine was found to have additional clinically useful properties making it effective in the treatment of a variety of other conditions. Presently, ketamine has a wide range of clinical uses beyond anesthesia including management of acute and chronic pain, as well as treatment of psychiatric disorders such as major depression. In addition to various clinical uses, ketamine is also recognized as a common drug of abuse sought for its hallucinogenic and sedative effects. This review focuses on exploring the different clinical and non-clinical uses of ketamine and its overall impact on patient care.