Ketamine Is Effective Adjunct to Morphine for Controlling Acute Pain

Morphine plus ketamine performed better than morphine alone in this randomized, double-blind study.

Researchers performed a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of subdissociative dose ketamine as an adjunct to morphine for acute pain. Sixty adult patients presenting to a level II community teaching hospital with acute pain (defined as pain with a duration of 15 days or less) were randomized to receive 0.1 mg/kg of morphine plus either 0.3 mg/kg of ketamine or placebo infused over 15 minutes. Pain was assessed on a traditional 10-point scale before administration and every 15 minutes after administration for up to 2 hours.

Pain scores were significantly lower in the morphine/ketamine group than in the morphine/placebo group at both 15 minutes (median scores, 3.6 vs. 6.0) and 30 minutes…

Reviewing Author

Richard L. Byyny, MD, MSc, FACEP

Disclosures

EquityZimmer; Aetna

Editorial BoardsAmerican College of Emergency Physicians Clinical Policies Committee

Richard L. Byyny, MD, MSc, FACEP

Disclosures

EquityZimmer; Aetna

Editorial BoardsAmerican College of Emergency Physicians Clinical Policies Committee

Ketamine Is Effective Adjunct to Morphine for Controlling Acute Pain

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Reviewing Author