Ketamine Treatment Options in Texas

Opioids, such as fentanyl, are commonly used in PICU patients to provide comfort and pain control. Opioid tolerance, the need to increase the dose of medication to achieve the same effect,is seen in PICU children who require opioid infusions. Animals and human studies have shown that activation of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor is involved in the development of opioid tolerance and that deactivation of this receptor can slow the development of tolerance. Ketamine, an NMDA receptor antagonists, turns off the NMDA receptor. Ketamine is used to provide sedation and anesthesia in children. Its use in inhibiting the development of opioid tolerance has not been tested in children. We aim to determine ketamine's effectiveness in the treatment of tolerance in PICU patients who require fentanyl infusions to treat pain and discomfort . Some physicians have reported using ketamine doses of 0.04mg/kg/hr to 0.5mg/kg/hr to inhibit opioid tolerance. We propose to study the sedative effect, and the metabolism of, three doses of ketamine, 0.1mg/kg/hr, 0.3mg/kg/hr, and 0.5mg/kg/hr. Patients admitted to the PICU, requiring a breathing machine and fentanyl infusion for discomfort or pain control will be enrolled. Patients' age three to eighteen years will be enrolled. Patients will receive a ketamine infusion once their COMFORT scores indicate an adequate sedation/comfort level on their current sedation regimen. The COMFORT score is a validated scale that measures distress in PICU patients. The COMFORT score will be continued for the twelve hours the patient receives the ketamine to test whether the ketamine adds to the level of sedation. Blood samples during and following the ketamine infusion will be taken to determine how ketamine and norketamine (one of ketamine's metabolites) are used in the body. To determine the effect of ketamine on tolerance it must be a ketamine dose that does not cause additional sedation. The goal of this study is to define a non-sedating dose of ketamine and define how it is used by the body. A non-sedating ketamine dose could be added to current sedation regimens allowing us to monitor the development of tolerance without the confusion of added sedation. The data obtained in this study will be used to design a study to further investigate the effect of ketamine on opioid tolerance. Read Less

This study will enroll patients presenting to the emergency department with acute suicidal ideation meeting inclusion and exclusion criteria. Patients will be randomized to one of three arms: ketamine (intervention) or diphenhydramine (control) or placebo (control). Serial measurements will be made in the ED and at follow-up intervals. Read Less

Existing treatments for major depressive disorder (MDD) generally take weeks to months to exert their maximal benefit. There is an urgent need to develop rapid-acting treatments for MDD. Ketamine, a high-affinity N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) glutamate receptor antagonist, has been used as a standard intravenous (IV) anesthetic agent for many years in both pediatric and adult patients. Beyond its well-established role in anesthesia and pain management, there is emerging evidence that ketamine may have rapid antidepressant properties for patients with severe mood disorders. In this study we are investigating whether ketamine can have an antidepressant effect compared to midazolam. Midazolam has similar anesthetic effects compared to ketamine but has not been shown to be an antidepressant, and is therefore acting as an active control in this study. The study period can last up to 8 weeks, depending on your response to the study medication. There are two required overnight stays in our Research Commons as part of this study. Read Less

The purpose of this research study is to evaluate the safety and analgesic efficacy of PMI-150 (intranasal ketamine) compared to placebo in patients with acute post-operative pain following orthopedic trauma, injury, or surgery. Read Less