As ketamine infusion therapy becomes more popular, many people in the medical community have started to realize they need consensus guidelines for its use. Although ketamine infusions don’t yet have FDA approval, they are an effective treatment for treatment-resistant depression, pain management, and other disorder treatment-resistant

A panel of experts recently formulated a consensus of guidelines in the use of IV ketamine infusions used to treat chronic pain. The Ketamine Guidelines Committee included representatives from the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, the American Academy of Pain Medicine, and the American Society of Anesthesiologists. The committee looked at clinical studies and database findings to determine the answers to several questions regarding ketamine infusions.

Questions Asked of the Ketamine Council

The committee answered the following questions:

1. Which patients and pain conditions should be considered?
2. What are the contraindications?
3. Is there any evidence that a therapeutic dose cutoff threshold? Is there a dose-response relationship? Are longer/more frequent infusions or higher dosages more effective?
4. Is there any role for oral ketamine or another N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist as a follow-up to infusion?
5. Should there be pre-infusion testing requirements?
6. What training prepares for personnel administering and monitoring treatment?
7. Which preemptive medications should be available in case of adverse effects?
8. What constitutes a positive response in chronic pain?

Searching for ‘Ketamine Therapy Near Me’?

Answers and recommendations were included in response to each question. They came to an overall conclusion that evidence supports the use of ketamine infusions for chronic pain. However, there still needs to be further studies that examine different conditions and dosages. They also concluded that most of the studies already done have been small and uncontrolled. Larger and wider studies are still needed to look at the long term effects of ketamine.

If you’re searching ‘ketamine therapy near me’ because you think ketamine may help to treat treatment-resistant depression in your life, we’d love to tell you more. Contact Delray Center for Healing today so we may answer any questions you may have!