The emerging use of ketamine for anesthesia and sedation in traumatic brain injuries.

This article reviews the current literature in regards to using ketamine in patients with traumatic brain injuries in different clinical settings associated with anesthesia, as well as reviews the potential mechanisms underlying the neuroprotective effects of ketamine. Studies examining the use of ketamine for induction, maintenance, and sedation in patients with TBI have had promising results. The use of ketamine in a controlled ventilation setting and in combination with other sedative agents has demonstrated no increase in ICP. The role of ketamine as a neuroprotective agent in humans remains inconclusive and adequately powered; randomized controlled trials performed in patients undergoing surgery for traumatic brain injury are necessary. PMID: 23480625 [PubMed - in process]
Source: CNS Neuroscience and Therapeutics - Category: Neuroscience Authors: Tags: CNS Neurosci Ther Source Type: research