Objective: To review the clinical literature evaluating the utilization of intravenous ketamine for the management of cancer-related pain, to summarize the data that suggest ketamine is an appropriate adjuvant method of providing analgesia and to report a case of successful pain management using ketamine in a patient with recurrent testicular cancer at our institution.
Data Sources: Primary literature was identified through a MEDLINE search (1966-March 2002), and additional information was obtained through secondary and tertiary sources.
Data Synthesis: The available data suggest that supplementation of morphine with ketamine improves analgesia in patients with cancer, and also provides insight to the controversy regarding the efficacy and adverse effects of various ketamine doses. At subanesthetic doses, ketamine may be beneficial at reducing opioid requirements and related adverse effects.
Case Summary: A 34-year-old white man with recurrent testicular cancer was admitted with radiating neuropathic pain of the legs and lower back. The patient was suspected to also be experiencing opioid adverse effects; therefore, alternative analgesic options were warranted. Ketamine was successful in reducing patient-reported pain and was also well tolerated.
Conclusions: Ketamine is an adjuvant analgesic for the treatment of cancer-related pain when other agents either fail or are intolerable. Accordingly, there are several factors that may prevent adequate pain control with opioid use; therefore, alternative analgesic options should be considered. Promise exists for ketamine as a contemporary analgesic in the appropriate patient.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1345/aph.1A256 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Neurophysiological correlates of ketamine-induced dissociative state in bipolar disorder: insights from real-world clinical settings.
Mol Psychiatry
January 2025
Siena Brain Investigation and Neuromodulation Lab, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Neuroscience, University of Siena, Siena, Italy.
Ketamine, a dissociative compound, shows promise in treating mood disorders, including treatment-resistant depression (TRD) and bipolar disorder (BD). Despite its therapeutic potential, the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying ketamine's effects are not fully understood. This study explored acute neurophysiological changes induced by subanesthetic doses of ketamine in BD patients with depression using electroencephalography (EEG) biomarkers.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFQualitative confirmation of 30 phencyclidine analogs in human blood and urine using GC-HRMS and a self-built library search.
J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci
January 2025
Department of Forensic Toxicology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Shanghai Forensic Science Platform, Academy of Forensic Science, Shanghai 200063 China. Electronic address:
Introduction: Phencyclidine, a dissociative anesthetic with hallucinogenic effects, is commonly abused as a recreational drug. Phencyclidine analogs are compounds produced by substitutions of the phenyl and piperidine rings of phencyclidine. Illegal use of phencyclidine and its analogs has symptoms such as addiction, confusion, and increased tendencies toward violence.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFKetamine Infusion for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Treatment: A Narrative Review.
Curr Pain Headache Rep
January 2025
Department of Anesthesiology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center at Shreveport, Shreveport, LA, 71103, USA.
Purpose Of Review: Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) is a neuropathic pain disorder characterized by pain disproportionate to the inciting event that is constant for an extended duration. Numerous treatment options for this condition have been explored with unsatisfactory results in many cases. Ketamine, an N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist typically used as an anesthetic and analgesic, presents a promising potential treatment for CRPS in patients who fail to respond to traditional therapies.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEchocardiographic indices probe during dexmedetomidine/midazolam - ketamine anesthesia in dogs undergoing ovariohysterectomy.
Vet Res Forum
November 2024
Department of Veterinary Clinical Complex, College of Veterinary Sciences, Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Hisar, India.
Cardiovascular and respiratory alterations during anesthesia are of major concern in canines. Thus, it is essential to understand the potential depressant effects of anesthetic drugs on cardio-vascular system; so that, anesthetic procedures are conducted in the best possible way. The objective of the study was to assess and compare the echocardiographic indices during dex-medetomidine and midazolam anesthesia in dogs undergoing elective ovariohysterectomy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCompare the Efficacy of Bolus Low Dose Ketamine Versus Bolus plus Infusion Low Dose Ketamine on Pain Management in Emergency Department: A randomized clinical trial.
Clin Exp Emerg Med
January 2025
Department of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
Background: Ketamine is a promising drug for analgesia in emergency medicine, but a high rate of side effects is a barrier to whispered usage. We hypothesized that ketamine bolus followed by ketamine infusion would provide a more even and longer duration of analgesia and lower rates of side effects in comparison to bolus-only administration.
Methods: This was a double-blinded, clinical trial.
Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!