Low-dose ketamine for children and adolescents with acute sickle cell disease related pain: A single center experience

Authors

Caitlin M. Neri, George Washington University
Sophie R. Pestieau, George Washington University
Heather Young, George Washington UniversityFollow
Angelo Elmi, George Washington UniversityFollow
Julia C. FInkel, George Washington UniversityFollow
Deepika S. Darbari, George Washington UniversityFollow

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

2014

Journal

Journal of of Anesthesia and Clinical Research

Volume

Volume 5

Inclusive Pages

Article number 394

Abstract

Background: Opioids are the mainstay of therapy for painful vasoocclusive episodes (VOEs) in sickle cell disease (SCD). Based on limited studies, low-dose ketamine could be a useful adjuvant analgesic for refractory SCD pain, but its safety and efficacy has not been evaluated in pediatric SCD.

Procedure: Using retrospective chart review we recorded and compared characteristics of hospitalizations of 33 children with SCD hospitalized with VOE who were treated with low-dose ketamine and opioid PCA vs. a paired hospitalization where the same patients received opioid PCA without ketamine. We seek to 1) describe a single center experience using adjuvant low-dose ketamine with opioid PCA for sickle cell related pain, 2) retrospectively explore the safety and efficacy of adjuvant low-dose ketamine for pain management, and 3) determine ketamine’s effect on opioid consumption in children and adolescents hospitalized with VOE.

Results: During hospitalizations where patients received ketamine, pain scores and opioid use were higher (6.48 vs. 5.99; p=0.002 and 0.040 mg/kg/h vs. 0.032 mg/kg/h; p=0.004 respectively) compared to hospitalizations without ketamine. In 3 patients, ketamine was discontinued due to temporary and reversible psychotomimetic effects. There were no additional short term side effects of ketamine.

Conclusions: Low-dose ketamine has an acceptable short-term safety profile for patients with SCD hospitalized for VOE. Lack of an opioid sparing effect of ketamine likely represents use of low-dose ketamine for patients presenting with more severe VOE pain. Prospective randomized studies of adjuvant low-dose ketamine for SCD pain are warranted to determine efficacy and long-term safety.

Comments

Reproduced with permission of OMICS Publishing Group, Anesthesia & Clinical Research.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

APA Citation

Neri, C.M., Pestieau, S.R., Young, H., Elmi, A., Finkel, J.C., et al. (2014) Low-dose Ketamine for Children and Adolescents with Acute Sickle Cell Disease Related Pain: A Single Center Experience. Journal of of Anesthesia and Clinical Research 5:394.

Open Access

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