Orlando, Fla.—Continuous ketamine infusion may be a safe and effective adjunct to sedation in mechanically ventilated critically ill patients, and could be a potential alternative to the continuous infusion of benzodiazepines.
“Ketamine is a rapid-acting anesthetic with both sedative and analgesic properties,” said Lara Groetzinger, PharmD, of the medical ICU of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center’s Presbyterian Hospital, and the lead researcher. “Its