Role of ketamine in postoperative pain management
Ketamine is traditionally recognized as an intraoperatively administered anesthetic; however, small-dose ketamine can facilitate postoperative analgesia because of its N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDA)-antagonistic properties, which may be important in attenuating central sensitization and opioid tolerance. Pain therapy can be improved using intravenous subanesthetic ketamine (0.05 to 0.2 mg/kg per hour), when added as an adjunct to general anesthesia, reduced postoperative pain, and opioid requirements.