Rural Emergency Medicine Podcast Episode 8: Ketamine for Suicidal Patients
Apr 16, 2018
Dr. Craig Heacock, a psychiatrist, sheds light on using ketamine as a breakthrough treatment for patients facing severe depression and suicidal thoughts. He discusses the accessibility challenges in rural emergency settings and the rapid effectiveness of ketamine compared to traditional methods. The conversation covers the significance of dosing, patient suitability, and potential psychological impacts. Dr. Heacock emphasizes ketamine's promise in transforming care for those in crisis, highlighting the need for monitoring and follow-up to ensure patient safety.
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Ketamine's High Efficacy
- Ketamine offers about a 70% immediate improvement rate for severe depression or suicidality.
- It outperforms most treatments except electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in effectiveness.
Ketamine Dosage and Administration
- Use 0.5 mg/kg IV ketamine infused over 40 minutes for safety and effectiveness.
- Monitor patients closely; IV is gentler and preferred in the chaotic emergency setting.
Who Should Receive Ketamine
- Administer ketamine to patients with primary mood disorders and acute suicidality.
- Use it to quickly pull patients out of crisis for hours to days, allowing time for outpatient care linkage.