Abstract

Ketamine has used as a dissociative anesthetics from 40 years ago. Its mechanism of action is an antagonism of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors, which has an important role into the central sensitization during pain states. The role of ketamine, in lower sub-anesthetic doses, has recently gained increasing interest in pain management. There are considerable numbers of trials to use ketamine in acute or chronic pain states. Recently, Hocking et al. summarized their recent reviews of the evidence concerning ketamine’s clinical use on PAIN: Clinical Updates. In this review, the author introduce their summery with personal experience. Based on their summary, the primary role of ketamine in such subanesthetic doses is as an ‘anti-hyperalgesic’, ‘anti-allodynic’ or ‘tolerance-protective’ agent rather than as a primarily ‘analgesic’. However, to support the evidence-based clinical guideline using a ketamine in pain management, there will be needed numerous high-quality studies that access both immediate and long-term outcomes.

• Keywords: Ketamine, NMDA antagonist, Pain management.