Intravenous analgesia for out-of-hospital traumatic pain in adults: ketamine gives a greater reduction in pain than morphine but causes more adverse effects
- Department of Anesthesia, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon SK, Saskatchewan Canada
- Correspondence to: Dr William Paul McKay
Department of Anesthesia, University of Saskatchewan, 103 Hospital Drive, Saskatoon SK, Saskatchewan, Canada S7N 0W8; bill.mckay{at}usask.ca
Commentary on:
Implications for practice and research
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Intravenous ketamine has been shown to be useful for acute pain in a variety of settings.1
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The present study shows that it provides a greater reduction in pain than morphine but causes more adverse effects in out-of-hospital care.
Context
Conscious trauma patients often suffer severe pain. In general, once a head injury has been ruled out, it is safe to give analgesics as promptly as possible.2 Analgesics are often given in the initial out-of-hospital setting, but are often not as effective as they might be. Thus, it is important to …
