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. 2021 Jan 6;25(1):19.
doi: 10.1186/s13054-020-03452-x.

Ketamine in acute phase of severe traumatic brain injury "an old drug for new uses?"

Daniel Agustin Godoy  1   2 , Rafael Badenes  3   4   5 , Paolo Pelosi  6   7 , Chiara Robba  8   9
Affiliations

Ketamine in acute phase of severe traumatic brain injury "an old drug for new uses?"

Daniel Agustin Godoy et al. Crit Care. .

Abstract

Maintaining an adequate level of sedation and analgesia plays a key role in the management of traumatic brain injury (TBI). To date, it is unclear which drug or combination of drugs is most effective in achieving these goals. Ketamine is an agent with attractive pharmacological and pharmacokinetics characteristics. Current evidence shows that ketamine does not increase and may instead decrease intracranial pressure, and its safety profile makes it a reliable tool in the prehospital environment. In this point of view, we discuss different aspects of the use of ketamine in the acute phase of TBI, with its potential benefits and pitfalls.

Keywords: Agitation; Cooperative sedation; Ketamine; Neuroprotection; Secondary insult; Sedation; Traumatic brain injury.

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Conflict of interest statement

No conflict of interest.

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