UMEM Educational Pearls

 

 

Low dose ketamine was compared  to morphine for the treatment of patients with long bone fractures

 

 

126 patients with upper and lower extremity long bone fractures were divided into two treatment groups

  1. IV morphine at a dose of 0.1 mg/kg
  2. IV ketamine at a dose of 0.5mg/kg

 

Pain scores were compared pre and at 10 minutes post treatment

Pain severity significantly decreased in both groups to a similar degree

Increase adverse effects (emergence phenomenon) noted in ketamine group but all effects resolved spontaneously without intervention.

Conclusion:  Analgesic effect of ketamine is similar to morphine in patients with long bone fractures.

 

References

Majidinejad S, Esmailian M, Emadi M. Comparison of Intravenous Ketamine with Morphine in Pain Relief of Long Bones Fractures: a Double Blind Randomized Clinical Trial. Emerg (Tehran). 2014;2(2):77-80.