The American journal of emergency medicine
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Multicenter Study
High- versus low-dose ketamine for analgesia in older adults in the emergency department.
Ketamine is increasingly being utilized in the management of acute pain in the emergency department (ED), including for older adults, a population at increased risk of adverse effects from medications. We aimed to compare the safety and analgesic effects of high-dose (≥0.3mg/kg) to low-dose (<0.3mg/kg) intravenous (IV) ketamine among older ED patients. ⋯ High-dose and low-dose ketamine reduced pain scores in older adults. High-dose ketamine led to a greater reduction in pain scores, and there was no observed difference in adverse effects or the need for rescue analgesia. One-third needed discontinuation of ketamine in both groups.