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?

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u/KingNobit Jun 20 '25 edited Jun 20 '25

Used it for a ketofol procedural sedation in a 28 year old the other day. A nurse played some French jazz music through a Bluetooth speaker and the guy had a smile from ear to ear as if he had never known stress in his life. A thing of beauty. It'd be great to come in for just the anaesthetic 

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u/Vprbite Paramedic Jun 20 '25

I gave every drop of morphine I had to a bullfighter (rodeo clown, but they don't call them that anymore) who got stepped on and had his Tib/fib coming through the skin. Morphine didn't even touch it. I gave him ketamine (I didn't have fent at this department) and asked him if he was still in pain. He said, "maybe, but i don't fucking care" and couldn't stop smiling