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document
A single infusion of intravenous ketamine improves pain relief in patients with critical limb ischaemia : results of a double blind randomised controlled trial . We report the first double blind randomised controlled trial of regular opioids and an infusion of low dose ( 0.6 mg/kg ) intravenous ketamine compared with opioids and placebo in patients with allodynia , hyperalgesia and hyperpathia secondary to critical limb ischaemia . Thirty-five patients completed the study , 18 received regular opioids plus ketamine , while 17 received regular opioids plus placebo . Using the Brief Pain Inventory , the % pain relief that the patients in the ketamine group attributed to their medication improved significantly from 50 % immediately pre-infusion to 65 % 24 h post-infusion and 69 % 5 days post infusion . Over the same period , the pain relief achieved by the placebo group rose from 58 % pre-infusion to 56 % 24 h post infusion and then 50 % relief 5 days later . This was statistically significant ( P < 0.05 ) using both the t-test and the Wilcoxon Rank Sum test . The ketamine group also showed a statistically significant difference 24 h post infusion of the effect of pain on their general activity ( P=0.03 ) and on their enjoyment of life ( P=0.004 ) . This study shows that combining a single infusion of low dose ketamine with regular opioid analgesia can result in a significant improvement in pain relief for this patient group .
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Intervention_Pharmacological
ketamine
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Intervention_Pharmacological
opioids
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Intervention_Pharmacological
ketamine
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Intervention_Pharmacological
opioids
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Intervention_Control
placebo
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Intervention_Pharmacological
opioids plus ketamine
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Intervention_Control
regular opioids plus placebo .
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Outcome_Other
Brief Pain Inventory , the % pain relief
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Outcome_Pain
pain relief achieved
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Outcome_Other
statistically significant
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Outcome_Physical
t-test and the Wilcoxon Rank Sum test .
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Outcome_Pain
pain
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Outcome_Physical
pain relief
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Participant_Condition
patients with critical limb ischaemia :
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Participant_Condition
allodynia
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Participant_Condition
hyperalgesia
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Participant_Condition
hyperpathia secondary to critical limb ischaemia
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Participant_Sample-size
Thirty-five