Ketamine anaesthesia for burns surgery

Abstract

A study was set up to investigate whether the theoretical advantages ketamine offered as an anaesthetic in burns patients were real. Patients under 35 kg body weight were anaesthetized by an intermittent intramuscular technique and patients over this weight with an intravenous technique. The study showed that ketamine had distinct advantages, giving cardiovascular stability and avoiding intubation. It was especially useful in the very ill patients. There were few complications during the study which we are now trying to minimize.