Therapeutic uses and effects of Ketamine

Ketamine is one of the popular drugs which are used to cause anesthesia. It can induce relaxation and pain relief in both humans and other animals. It is a medicine that is authorized to be used as an anesthetic in hospitals and other health care facilities. It is also known as class III scheduled medicine. Due to its distinctive properties like hallucinatory, tranquilizing, and dissociative effects, it is often known as a recreational drug. They are harmless to be used in healthcare facilities, although it has the potential to be abused. Ketamine can be dangerous and can cause serious mental and physical health consequences if it is used above the recommended level. Tolerance and addiction might develop as a result of long-term use.

Therapeutic uses of Ketamine

The most common application of ketamine is in veterinary medicine. It is capable of inducing and maintaining general anesthesia in patients before, during, and after operations.

There are various processes where ketamine is used. They are as follows:

Burns: ketamine is widely used for discomfort during burn bandage changing, resection and grafting, and sedation. It plays a crucial function in the administration of multiple anesthetics for wound healing. The thing that makes ketamine more useful in comparison to other medicines during burns is that it usually retains airways and natural respiratory function while also ensuring optimum sedoanalgesia.

Ketamine is the anesthetic preferred route for the induction of patients with congenital heart disease with the right to left shunt, especially youngsters, due to its positive cardiovascular effects of raising peripheral vascular resistance and resulting decrease in the right to left shunt. It also enhances oxygen by boosting pulmonary blood flow.

In hospitals, ketamine is used to manage seizures in individuals suffering from status epilepsy. It is a type of epilepsy that causes brain damage and eventually leads to the death of the patient. It is also used to ease pain in modest dosages, so they are also known as analgesics.

Common Effects of Ketamine

• Sleepiness
• Changes in color or sound preconceptions
• Hallucinations, confusion, and psychosis
• Disorientation from body or identity
• Aggression
• It is hard to think and learn anything.
• Nausea
• Dilated pupils and shifts in sight and hearing
• Incapability to regulate eye movement
• Uncontrollable muscle movements and muscular rigidity
• It can also cause nausea, diarrhea, and a loss of appetite.

Adverse impacts of Ketamine

Drug abuse, psychosis, depression, reduced brain function, increased blood pressure, breathing problems, and seizures are some of the unintended consequences.

It has some effects which can last for up to 24 hours, such as coordination issues, judgments, and bodily sensory problems. Individuals can face urinary and kidney disorders, stomachaches, and loss of memory as some long-term side effects of ketamine. Sometimes, there is also a risk of depression if the individual is addicted to ketamine.

Conclusion
Ketamine is a medication that has been used in both human and veterinary medicine as an anesthetic. It's important to distinguish between the drug's legitimate medical applications and its non-medical, recreational use. Ketamine is a safer and more effective medicine when prescribed by a competent medical professional. Ketamine can have serious negative effects which can damage the physical and mental health of a person when used for a long time. In some circumstances, it can also lead to death. So before consuming it, it should be recommended by a physician who is familiar with the patient’s whole medical history.