Common Street Drugs: Ketamine

First Things First (assess & treat for the following)

• Ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic that is a shorter-acting & less potent alternative to structurally related PCP.
• Has become a drug of abuse for its hypnotic & mood-altering properties
• High doses may result in respiratory depression.
  • Maintain airway patency; support w/ oxygenation & ventilation if necessary.
  • Rapid sequence intubation if hypoxic or severe respiratory depression
• Tachycardia & severe HTN may occur (usually most severe in pts taking thyroid replacement therapy).