r/emergencymedicine • u/rainbowsforeverrr • Jun 20 '25

Advice Ketamine-- how to prepare patients?

Hi folks, ER nurse here. I'm curious how you talk to patients about ketamine admin for procedures or for intractable pain relief. I give it fairly often but I still haven't found the right way to prepare patients (or parents of littles) for the psychotropic effects. I've never used ketamine personally, but it seems to be a very intense experience that ought to be part of the informed consent conversation. What is our ethical obligation?

102 Upvotes

96% Upvoted

126 comments sorted by

View all comments

4

u/ProsocialRecluse Jun 20 '25

Honestly, some of the best people to get this information from is recreational users and trip sitters, so try some of the psychonaut subs. I've never had ketamine personally, but I remember reading on an old forum that it's kind of like having all of reality contained in a glass box and moved away from you. I thought it was such a cool and evocative description that it sticks with me to this day. A lot of people have mentioned being in a good headspace before is important but I also think knowing what to expect helps a lot as well.