Ketamine bladder syndrome: an important differential diagnosis when assessing a patient with persistent lower urinary tract symptoms.
Shalom Srirangam, Joe Mercer
BMJ Case Reports September 30, 2012 DOI: 10.1136/bcr-2012-006447 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case study Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1 |
| Population | A young male recreational ketamine user with lower urinary tract symptoms |
| Intervention | Ketamine |
| Duration | 5-year history of ketamine consumption; 2-year history of lower urinary tract symptoms |
| Topics | Ketamine Esketamine |
| Keywords | Humans Substance-related disorders Diagnosis, differential Adult Male Nocturia |
| Key findings | The authors argue that recreational ketamine use can cause serious, frequently irreversible urinary tract damage, illustrated by a young man with a five-year history of ketamine consumption and two years of lower urinary tract symptoms. They contend that management is largely limited to analgesia and that stopping ketamine before irreversible damage occurs is the best way to avoid radical reconstructive surgery in end-stage disease. |
Abstract
The recreational use of ketamine is increasing in popularity due to its dissociative and paralytic effects, ease of availability and low cost. However, serious and frequently irreversible damage to the urinary tract is a recently recognised side effect of recreational ketamine use. The authors present a case of a young male patient with a 2-year history of troublesome lower urinary tract symptoms and a 5-year history of ketamine consumption. Medical management of such patients is largely limited to analgesia alone, and cessation of ketamine use before irreversible damage occurs remains the best means of avoiding the radical reconstructive surgery required in end-stage disease. This case and an accompanying review of the available literature illustrate the importance of early recognition of ketamine bladder syndrome in recreational users.
Comparable studies
Other case reports and case series on ketamine, most cited first.
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