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Perioperative Use of Ketamine

  • Acute Pain Medicine (R Urman, Section Editor)
  • Published:
Current Pain and Headache Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose of Review

Postoperative pain continues to be one of the most common challenges following surgeries. Multimodal analgesia has been of particular focus as non-opioid alternatives have been encouraged due to concerns of the opioid epidemic. Ketamine has been an especially useful adjunct in multimodal pain regimens within the past few decades. This article highlights the current use and advances surrounding the perioperative use of ketamine.

Recent Findings

Ketamine has antidepressive effects at subanesthetic doses. Intraoperative ketamine may be beneficial in reducing postoperative depression. Additionally, newer studies are exploring whether ketamine can be useful in reducing postoperative sleep disturbances.

Summary

Ketamine continues to be a great tool in perioperative pain control, especially during an opioid epidemic. As its use continues to expand and gain more popularity in the perioperative period, more research could shed light on the additional nonanalgesic benefits of ketamine use.

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Papers of particular interest, published recently, have been highlighted as: • Of importance •• Of major importance

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Montefiore Medical Center, 111 E 210Th Street, Bronx, NY, 10467, USA

    Abimbola Adegbola, Karina Gritsenko & Elilary Montilla Medrano

  2. Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA

    Karina Gritsenko & Elilary Montilla Medrano

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  1. Abimbola Adegbola
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Correspondence to Abimbola Adegbola.

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Adegbola, A., Gritsenko, K. & Medrano, E.M. Perioperative Use of Ketamine. Curr Pain Headache Rep 27, 445–448 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11916-023-01128-z

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