Intraoperative ketamine for prevention of depressive symptoms after major surgery in older adults: an international, multicentre, double-blind, randomised clinical trial.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Ketamine is a general anaesthetic with anti-depressant effects at subanaesthetic doses. We hypothesised that intraoperative administration of ketamine would prevent or mitigate postoperative depressive symptoms in surgical patients.

Methods

We conducted an international, randomised clinical trial testing the effects of intraoperative administration of ketamine [0.5 mg kg^-1 (Lo-K) or 1.0 mg kg^-1 (Hi-K)] vs control [saline placebo (P)] in patients ≥60 yr old undergoing major surgery with general anaesthesia. We administered the Patient Health Questionnaire-8 before the operation, on postoperative day (POD) 3 (primary outcome), and on POD30 to assess depressive symptoms, a secondary outcome of the original trial.

Results

There was no sign

SUBMITTER: Mashour GA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6208292 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature