The effects of dexmedetomidine and ketamine infusions on the inflammatory response in liver resection: A randomized double-blind placebo study.
İrem Ates, Esra Laloglu, Salih Kara, Tuba Yaman, Bahar Isik
Medicine July 4, 2025 DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000042999 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Double-blind Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 45 |
| Population | American Society of Anesthesiologists class III patients aged 18 to 65 scheduled for liver resection surgery |
| Interventions | Ketamine Dexmedetomidine |
| Dose | Ketamine: 0.5 mg/kg bolus at induction and 0.25 mg/kg/hour infusion; Dexmedetomidine: 1 µg/kg bolus for first 10 minutes and 0.5 µg/kg/hour after intubation |
| Topics | Ketamine Esketamine |
| Keywords | Dexmedetomidine Inflammation Intensify pain Infusions Post-liver resection Enhance recovery |
| Citations | 2 |
| Key findings | Ketamine and dexmedetomidine infusions were both effective in reducing inflammation and pain following liver resection, with no obvious superiority of one over the other. |
Abstract
This study compared the effects of ketamine and dexmedetomidine (Dex) on inflammation and pain in liver resection surgery. Forty-five American Society of Anesthesiologists class III patients aged 18 to 65 scheduled for liver resection surgery were randomized into 3 equal groups. The ketamine group received an intravenous ketamine bolus (0.5 mg/kg) during anesthesia induction and continuous low-dose infusion at 0.25 mg/kg/hour. In the Dex group, intravenous infusion was initiated at a 1 µg/kg bolus for the first 10 minutes, and at 0.5 µg/kg/hour after intubation. The control group patients were infused crystalloid solution at 8 mL/kg/hour from induction. Venous blood was collected at postoperative hours 1 and 12 for pentraxin 3, serum amyloid A, hepcidin, and inflammatory marker analysis. Visual analogue scale (VAS) values were recorded. Pentraxin 3, serum amyloid A, and hepcidin continued to rise at 12 hours in the control group, but began declining in the Dex and ketamine infusion groups (P .05). A positive correlation was observed between inflammation levels and pain severity (P < .001). There was no difference in liver function tests between any of the groups (P < .05). Ketamine and Dex infusions were both effective in reducing inflammation and pain following liver resection, with no obvious superiority of one over the other.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on ketamine, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subanesthetic Effects of the Noncompetitive NMDA Antagonist, Ketamine, in Humans Healthy human subjects recruited from the community | 1994 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 19 |
| Antidepressant Efficacy of Ketamine in Treatment-Resistant Major Depression: A Two-Site Randomized Controlled Trial Patients with treatment-resistant major depression experiencing a major depressive episode | 2013 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 73 |
| Remifentanil-induced Postoperative Hyperalgesia and Its Prevention with Small-dose Ketamine Patients undergoing major abdominal surgery | 2005 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 75 |
| Efficacy of Intravenous Ketamine for Treatment of Chronic Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Patients with chronic PTSD related to a range of trauma exposures | 2014 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 41 |
| Ketamine-Induced Deficits in Auditory and Visual Context-Dependent Processing in Healthy Volunteers Healthy volunteers | 2000 | Single-blind placebo-controlled study | n = 20 |