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Effect of a low-dose ketamine regimen on pain, mood, cognitive function and memory after major gynaecological surgery: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2008

F. Aubrun ,
C. Gaillat ,
D. Rosenthal ,
M. Dupuis ,
P. Mottet ,
F. Marchetti ,
P. Coriat  and
B. Riou
F. Aubrun*
Affiliation:
Université Pierre et Marie Curie-Paris 6, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Groupe hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Paris, France
C. Gaillat
Affiliation:
Université Pierre et Marie Curie-Paris 6, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Groupe hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Paris, France
D. Rosenthal
Affiliation:
Université Pierre et Marie Curie-Paris 6, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Groupe hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Paris, France
M. Dupuis
Affiliation:
Université Pierre et Marie Curie-Paris 6, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Groupe hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Paris, France
P. Mottet
Affiliation:
Université Pierre et Marie Curie-Paris 6, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Groupe hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Paris, France
F. Marchetti
Affiliation:
Université Pierre et Marie Curie-Paris 6, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Groupe hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Paris, France
P. Coriat
Affiliation:
Université Pierre et Marie Curie-Paris 6, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Groupe hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Paris, France
B. Riou
Affiliation:
Université Pierre et Marie Curie-Paris 6, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Groupe hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, Department of Emergency Medicine and Surgery, Paris, France
*
Correspondence to: Frédéric Aubrun, Département d’Anesthésie-Réanimation, CHU Pitié-Salpêtrière, 47 Boulevard de l’Hôpital, 75651 Paris Cedex 13, France. E-mail: frederic.aubrun@psl.ap-hop-paris.fr; Tel: +33 1 42 16 22 59; Fax: +33 1 42 16 22 69
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Summary

Background and objective

Major gynaecological abdominal surgery is associated with moderate to severe postoperative pain, hyperalgesia and the need for multimodal analgesia to reduce high morphine consumption. A low-dose ketamine regimen appears to prevent postoperative hyperalgesia. We examined the potential beneficial effect of ketamine on postoperative pain management and cognitive function.

Methods

Ninety patients were included in this double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study to test the efficacy and adverse effects of ketamine (as an intraoperative bolus of 0.15 mg kg−1, followed postoperatively by ketamine 0.5 mg per morphine 1 mg in a patient-controlled analgesia device). All patients received additionally ketoprofen. The main end-point was morphine consumption over the first 24 h. Secondary efficacy and safety end-points were morphine consumption during the titration period and during the patient-controlled analgesia period (48 h), the number of morphine-related adverse effects and the results of psychometric tests.

Results

Ketamine, in combination with morphine and ketoprofen, did not improve postoperative pain scales and did not reduce morphine consumption and the incidence of morphine-related adverse effects. Ketamine did not modify mood, cognitive and memory functioning.

Conclusion

Adding a low dose of ketamine to an efficacious multimodal analgesic regimen did not improve analgesia after gynaecological surgery. Although this combination appears to be safe, the lack of benefit suggests that a low dose of ketamine should not be used for routine care.

Keywords

PAIN ACUTE AND POSTOPERATIVESURGERY GYNAECOLOGICALKETAMINEMORPHINECOGNITIVE FUNCTION
Type
Original Article
Information
European Journal of Anaesthesiology , Volume 25 , Issue 2 , February 2008 , pp. 97 - 105
Copyright
Copyright © European Society of Anaesthesiology 2007

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