Findings Published in Academic Emergency Medicine Journal

DES PLAINES, ILLINOIS, UNITED STATES, March 8, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Early use of ketamine in adults with acute sickle vasoocclusive crisis (VOC) resulted in a meaningful reduction in pain scores over a two-hour period with no drug-related side effects and no significant safety concerns. That is the conclusion of the article titled Ketamine administration for acute painful sickle cell crisis: A randomized controlled trial, published in the February 2022 issue of Academic Emergency Medicine (AEM), a peer-reviewed journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM).

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a hereditary blood disorder in which deoxygenated hemoglobin polymerizes, resulting in the sickle-like shape of red blood cells. These rigid, misshapen cells block and reduce blood flow. VOC is the most common complication of SCD and is associated with severe pain that may recur frequently, requiring emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalization. Patients who are frequently hospitalized because of painful VOC are at a higher risk of early death.

The study reports that ketamine use also reduced the cumulative morphine dose in the emergency department. Because patients with long-term exposure to opioid therapy are prone to drug-related dependency, the administration of ketamine therapy may minimize dependency and addiction risk.

The lead author of the study is Mohammed S. Alshahrani, MD, of the emergency and critical care departments at King Fahad Hospital of the University-Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University in Dammam, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Results of the study are discussed in a recent AEM podcast.

###

ABOUT ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE
Academic Emergency Medicine, the monthly journal of Society for Academic Emergency Medicine, features the best in peer-reviewed, cutting-edge original research relevant to the practice and investigation of emergency care. The above study is published open access and can be downloaded by following the DOI link: 10.1111/acem.14382. Journalists wishing to interview the authors may contact Tami Craig at tcraig@saem.org.

ABOUT THE SOCIETY FOR ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE
SAEM is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization dedicated to the improvement of care of the acutely ill and injured patient by leading the advancement of academic emergency medicine through education and research, advocacy, and professional development. To learn more, visit saem.org.

Tami Craig
SAEM
+1 847-813-5734
tcraig@saem.org
Visit us on social media:
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.