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To compare the analgesic efficacy of intravenous low-dose ketamine and morphine, researchers performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized studies of the two drugs in adults. Studies done in non–emergency department (ED) or prehospital settings and those evaluating combinations of drugs were excluded.
The analysis included eight studies, comprising 1191 patients. All studies compared a 0.1-mg/kg dose of morphine to doses of 0.2 to 0.5 mg/kg of ketamine. Patients had torso or extremity pain, fractures, trauma, or sickle cell pain. Risk of bias for included studies was generally low to moderate. There was no difference in pain scores between the two groups at any time point within 60 minutes after medication administration. Aft…