Author(s)

Thapa Yuba Raj, Ren Quan^*

Department of Anesthesiology, Zhongda Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, China.

Ketamine is a sedative N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist, considered as a dissociative anesthetic medication. Ketamine inhibits the voltage-gated Na⁺ & K⁺ channels and serotonin and dopamine re-uptake and affects specific receptors, such as α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA), kainate and aminobutyric acid A receptors. It is commonly administered by a parenteral route. On administration, ketamine has particular properties that are potentially involved during anesthetic induction including the enhancement of descending inhibition and anti-inflammatory effects. Recent literature reviews report that ketamine possesses various clinically beneficial properties. Sub-dissociative dose/Lower dose of ketamine (LDK) has potential as well as safe effects in clinical practice for the management of acute and chronic pain in postoperative room as well as Emergency Department (ED), along with cognitive function and depression in Psychiatric Department. Moreover, pharmacology of ketamine includes bronchodilators, neuro-protective actions, anti-shock, anti-suicide, and anti-tumor action immune system disorder. The purpose of this review is to illustrate recent advances in mechanism of action, mode of administration and indication of clinical uses of ketamine. In this article various new uses of ketamine have been shown, mainly related to its NMDAR antagonism and the clinical implementation and significance of low dose/sub dissociative dose of ketamine. In future, beyond being used as the adjuvant general anesthesia, it also can be used as a rapid acting antidepressant and anti-suicidal agent for mental disorders, and adjuvant analgesia to avoid potential risk and side effects of opioids in emergency department and in post-operative care.

Ketamine, Dissociative Anesthesia, Sedative, Pain Management, Anti-Depressant Agent, Pediatrics Anesthesia

Thapa Y.R and Ren Q. (2020) Recent Advances in Ketamine Research: An Update. Open Journal of Anesthesiology, 10, 89-100. doi: 10.4236/ojanes.2020.103008.