National opioid shortage is associated with increased use of ketamine infusion for analgosedation in the medical intensive care unit

Abstract

Objective: To assess the impact of the national shortage of injectable opioids during the winter of 2017-2018 on the use of ketamine infusion for analgosedation in the medical intensive care unit (MICU).

Design: A retrospective cohort study.

Setting: Single-center tertiary care MICU at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.

Patients: All patients who received continuous infusion of ketamine to facilitate mechanical ventilation between May 1, 2015 and September 1, 2018.

Measurements and main results: Seventy-seven patients were identified during the study time frame: 43 before and 19 during the opioid shortage. During the peak of the shortage, there was a sevenfold increase in orders for ketamine infusion (2.2 patients/week vs 0.32 patients/week; p < 0.001). Median time from the start of mechanical ventilation to initiation of ketamine infusion was significantly shorter during the shortage (14.1 hours) versus before (51.2 hours; p = 0.03). There was a trend toward adding ketamine into the sedation regimen earlier during the shortage (mean number of drips added prior to ketamine was 2.74 during the shortage vs 3.3 before; p = 0.06). There was also a trend toward increased use of ketamine infusion as monotherapy during (21.1 percent of patients) versus before the shortage (7 percent), though this did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.19).

Conclusion: The national opioid shortage may have led to earlier and more frequent use of ketamine infusion for anaglosedation in mechanically ventilated MICU patients.