• Grace Kim, Steven M Green, T Kent Denmark, and Baruch Krauss.
• Department of Emergency Medicine, Loma Linda University Medical Center and Children's Hospital, Loma Linda, CA 92354, USA. vtenacious@aol.com
• Acad Emerg Med. 2003 Feb 1;10(2):140-5.

ObjectivesIt is unclear whether ketamine induces subclinical respiratory depression when administered in dissociative doses intravenously (IV). The authors report a pilot study of capnography in emergency department (ED) pediatric patients receiving ketamine alone for procedural sedation, and describe serial measures of ventilatory response [end-tidal carbon dioxide (EtCO(2)), respiratory rate, pulse oximetry].MethodsThe authors performed continuous capnography on a convenience sample of 20 ED pediatric patients who received ketamine 1.5 mg/kg IV for procedural sedation.ResultsContinuous EtCO(2) and pulse oximetry remained essentially unchanged following ketamine injection, and no EtCO(2) levels > 47 mm Hg were noted at any point throughout sedation.ConclusionsNo hypoventilation was observed in 20 ED pediatric patients receiving ketamine 1.5 mg/kg administered IV over 1 minute. The authors found no evidence of respiratory depressant properties for this dissociative agent.

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