Acute pain management with ketamine

Ketamine is a well-known anesthetic with its use trailing back to the 1960s. It has antagonistic effects at the N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor. Ketamine has been administered via the intravenous, intramuscular, subcutaneous, oral, rectal, topical, intranasal, sublingual, epidural, and caudal routes. Ketamine improves postoperative and post trauma pain scores and reduces opioid consumption. It has special indication for patients with opioid tolerance, acute hyperalgesia, and neuropathic pain. It also has a role in the management of chronic and acute pain including both cancer and noncancer pain. Recreational use of ketamine is increasing as well through different routes of administration like inhalation, smoking, or intravenous injection. Long-time exposure to ketamine, especially in the abusers, may lead to serious side effects. The purpose of this study is studying acute pain management with ketamine.