Loading...
Consensus is lacking regarding an optimal medication regimen to treat agitated and violent patients in the prehospital setting. Ketamine's rapid onset, short duration of action, and sedative properties may make it uniquely suited for this indication. An emergency medical service in Florida instituted a protocol to treat violent and agitated patients with 4 mg/kg of intramuscular ketamine and 2.0 or 2.5 mg of parenteral midazolam to prevent emergence reactions. To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of this regimen, researchers retrospectively reviewed prehospital records between 2011 and 2014.
Of 52 patients treated per protocol, 50 achieved adequate sedation within roughly 2 minutes and remained sedated until arrival at the emergency depa…