Low Dose Ketamine as an Adjunct to Opiates for Acute Pain in the Emergency Department

Summary

This study investigates the use of low doses of ketamine, along with opiate pain medication, is more effective at controlling the acute pain of patients in the emergency department than opiate pain medication alone. In addition, this study examines whether patients treated with low doses of ketamine, along with opiate pain medication, will require less opiate pain medication to control their pain, and whether these patients are equally happy with their pain control as patients who receive only opiate pain medication.

Timeline

Start

2013-09

Primary completion

2015-03

Completion

2015-03

Publications

• Background Ahern TL, Herring AA, Stone MB, Frazee BW. Effective analgesia with low-dose ketamine and reduced dose hydromorphone in ED patients with severe pain. Am J Emerg Med. 2013 May;31(5):847-51. doi: 10.1016/j.ajem.2013.02.008. Epub 2013 Apr 18.
• Background Beaudoin FL, Lin C, Guan W, Merchant RC. Low-dose ketamine improves pain relief in patients receiving intravenous opioids for acute pain in the emergency department: results of a randomized, double-blind, clinical trial. Acad Emerg Med. 2014 Nov;21(11):1193-202. doi: 10.1111/acem.12510.
• Background Galinski M, Dolveck F, Combes X, Limoges V, Smail N, Pommier V, Templier F, Catineau J, Lapostolle F, Adnet F. Management of severe acute pain in emergency settings: ketamine reduces morphine consumption. Am J Emerg Med. 2007 May;25(4):385-90. doi: 10.1016/j.ajem.2006.11.016.
• Background Jennings PA, Cameron P, Bernard S, Walker T, Jolley D, Fitzgerald M, Masci K. Morphine and ketamine is superior to morphine alone for out-of-hospital trauma analgesia: a randomized controlled trial. Ann Emerg Med. 2012 Jun;59(6):497-503. doi: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2011.11.012. Epub 2012 Jan 13.
• Background Johansson P, Kongstad P, Johansson A. The effect of combined treatment with morphine sulphate and low-dose ketamine in a prehospital setting. Scand J Trauma Resusc Emerg Med. 2009 Nov 27;17:61. doi: 10.1186/1757-7241-17-61.
• Background Kissin I, Bright CA, Bradley EL Jr. The effect of ketamine on opioid-induced acute tolerance: can it explain reduction of opioid consumption with ketamine-opioid analgesic combinations? Anesth Analg. 2000 Dec;91(6):1483-8. doi: 10.1097/00000539-200012000-00035.

Drugs

Indications

No indication recorded.