TTL tips 16: Ketamine in trauma patients.
When managing refractory pain in trauma, consider titrating low-dose ketamine to spare opioids, but never administer without full physiological monitoring. Ensure continuous capnography is standard protocol during any ketamine infusion in the resus bay. Remember that while it's useful for sedation and analgesia, its use must always be paired with vigilant airway and hemodynamic assessment.
This practical guide from St. Emlyn's focuses specifically on optimizing the use of ketamine within the challenging environment of trauma resuscitation. It serves as a comprehensive resource covering its application for both analgesia and procedural sedation in injured patients. The core message emphasizes that low-dose ketamine is valuable, particularly when standard analgesic regimens begin to plateau, positioning it as an effective opioid-sparing adjunct. Crucially, the article stresses that despite its utility, all administration requires rigorous monitoring, with capnography being highlighted as a mandatory practice within the resuscitation setting.