ISSN:
1460-9592
Source:
Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005
Topics:
Medicine
Notes:
Background: Ketamine has an opioid sparing effect following surgery in adults. This study investigated whether a similar effect is seen following appendicectomy in paediatric patients.Methods: Seventy-five ASA 1 or 2 children aged 7–16 years were recruited, and randomly allocated to one of three groups. Following a standard anaesthetic for appendicectomy, all were prescribed patient controlled analgesia (PCA) morphine with paracetamol and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) as required for postoperative analgesia. In addition the control group received a saline infusion postoperatively, the ketamine bolus group received 500 μg·kg−1 intravenous (i.v.) ketamine preincision and a saline infusion postoperatively, and the ketamine infusion group received 500 μg·kg−1 i.v. ketamine preincision and a ketamine infusion at 4 μg·kg−1 min−1 postoperatively. Morphine consumption, rescue analgesia requirement and side-effects were recorded postoperatively.Results: There was no difference in morphine consumption between the groups. The ketamine infusion group required more doses of rescue analgesia and reported more side-effects than the control group. Five patients, all in the ketamine infusion group, reported hallucinations.Conclusions: In this paediatric population intravenous ketamine did not have a morphine sparing effect. The increased incidence of side-effects, especially hallucinations, reported by patients given a ketamine infusion may limit the further use of postoperative ketamine in children.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1460-9592.2003.01090.x
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