![Ketamine in Low Dose Reduces Pain: Study Ketamine in Low Dose Reduces Pain: Study](https://images.medindia.net/health-images/1200_1000/nasal-spray-can-act-fast-to-prevent-suicidal-thoughts.jpg)
‘Low dose of ketamine may have diminished side effects with equal efficacy in treating pain.’
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The patients were randomized prospectively to receive either 0.15 mg/kg of ketamine (low dose) or 0.30 mg/kg (high dose). Patients and providers were blinded to dose, with the primary outcome of pain measured on the 11-point numerical rating scale (NRS) at 30 minutes.Read More..
At 15 minutes, the high dose group had a greater decrease in pain on the NRS but more adverse events. At 30 minutes, adverse events and pain were similar.
Overall, patients generally reported that they would take ketamine again for pain - 75.6% in the low-dose group and 61.7% in the high-dose group.
"We challenged the conventional ketamine dose used to treat pain," said lead study author Shannon Lovett, MD, emergency medicine physician at Loyola University Medical Center (LUMC) and associate professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. "Our study should help demonstrate that a lower dose is sufficient to treat pain."
The study did not find a significant reduction in side effects from the lower dose.
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