>Does anyone out there use ketamine ?
We have been using ketamine for the last couple of
years at the Royal Free Hospital (London) and now we
just introduce it at Princess Alexandra hospital (Harlow)
with excellent results and minimal complication rate. We
use IM ketamine 4 mg/kg.
This is a safe drug very appropiate to the A&E setting,
and is an exclusive anaesthetic drug as much as aspirin
is an exclusive cardiology drug.
If anyboy want to read about this debate I recommend
the editorial in Annals of Emergency medicine ,
November 2000 , it is a little gem , essential for
discussion with our friends the anaesthetist(and other
A&E colleagues). (I enclose a copy as a PDF file).
Charlie Fee from North Ireland mention that an A&E
journal refused to publish a study about ketamine
because they thought that A&E should not sedate
children in this way. I would be grateful if we could know
which A&E journal was this, as if the only reason for not
publication was the above, this journal is not worthy of
carrying the name A&E at its front. Even if the editors do
not agree with the technique the debate is out there
and any study of enough quality should be published.
Also to say that ketamine is not a drug suitable for A&E
means that somebody does not understand the role of
an A&E department in the care of injured children, the
range skills already present in many A&E departments,
and the effects of ketamine in children
Andres I. Martin
SpR Emergency Medicine
North Thames (East)
London
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