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?

107 Upvotes

96% Upvoted

126 comments sorted by

View all comments

195

u/jubbyboi ED Attending Jun 20 '25

Sedated a 7 year old for fracture reduction 2 days ago and the nurse said “you’re gonna love this! A lot of people pay money to do this and you get it for free”… so I guess that’s an option.

37

u/Jtco235 Jun 20 '25

“Free”

34

u/This_Daydreamer_ Jun 20 '25

Well the 7 year old isn't paying

12

u/Vprbite Paramedic Jun 20 '25

Bunch of free loading kids! Put those kids to work like the 1800s again. They're small so they can fit in the coal mines

9

u/Majesticb3ast69 Jun 21 '25

The children yearn for the mines

7

u/Vprbite Paramedic Jun 21 '25

I've never yearned. I've craved. I crave consistently. But I've never yearned