UMEM Educational Pearls

Category: Pediatrics

Title: Ketamine for Septic Work Ups

Keywords: pediatric procedual sedation, ketamine (PubMed Search)

Posted: 1/3/2009 by Don Van Wie, DO (Updated: 10/10/2024)
Click here to contact Don Van Wie, DO

Next time you have to do a full septic work up on a 2 month old with a fever of 104 F consider giving Ketamine 3mg/kg IM before even starting.  Then you can obtain your cath urine, IV, and LP with a calm pain free patient!!

Ketamine induces a catatonic state that provides sedation, analgesia, and amnesia.  It does not affect pharyngeal-laryngeal reflexes and the patient maintains a patent airway.  This makes it very useful when fasting is not assured.   

Route          Onset          Duration             Dose

  IM            3-5 min         20-30min         3-5 mg/kg

  IV             1 min            5-10 min          1-2 mg/kg