r/emergencymedicine 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/This_Daydreamer_ Jun 20 '25

Well the 7 year old isn't paying

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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

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u/Majesticb3ast69 Jun 21 '25

The children yearn for the mines

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u/Vprbite Paramedic Jun 21 '25

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