The EMS Lighthouse Project

Let’s say you were looking for a safe and effective BLS option for analgesia. Something other than oral acetaminophen or ibuprofen. You want the Green Whistle (methoxyflurane), but you can’t get the Green Whistle (thanks, FDA!). How about sub-dissociative ketamine by nebulizer? Sounds great, but you’re worried about your colleagues getting stoned, right? Admit it, you are. Fortunately, there are breath-actuated nebulizers. Maybe those things will work?

 

Dr. Jarvis reviews a recent paper comparing the effectiveness of nebulized ketamine with IV ketamine and gives a quick review of some other papers that paved the way for this one.

 

1. Nguyen T, Mai M, Choudhary A, Gitelman S, Drapkin J, Likourezos A, Kabariti S, Hossain R, Kun K, Gohel A, et al.: Comparison of Nebulized Ketamine to Intravenous Subdissociative Dose Ketamine for Treating Acute Painful Conditions in the Emergency Department: A Prospective, Randomized, Double-Blind, Double-Dummy Controlled Trial. Annals of Emergency Medicine. (2024) May 2.

2. Motov S, Mai M, Pushkar I, Likourezos A, Drapkin J, Yasavolian M, Brady J, Homel P, Fromm C: A prospective randomized, double-dummy trial comparing IV push low dose ketamine to short infusion of low dose ketamine for treatment of pain in the ED. Am J Emerg Med. 2017;August;35(8):1095–100.

3. Motov S, Rockoff B, Cohen V, Pushkar I, Likourezos A, McKay C, Soleyman-Zomalan E, Homel P, Terentiev V, Fromm C: Intravenous Subdissociative-Dose Ketamine Versus Morphine for Analgesia in the Emergency Department: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Ann Emerg Med. 2015;September;66(3):222-229.e1.

4. Motov S, Yasavolian M, Likourezos A, Pushkar I, Hossain R, Drapkin J, Cohen V, Filk N, Smith A, Huang F, et al.: Comparison of Intravenous Ketorolac at Three Single-Dose Regimens for Treating Acute Pain in the Emergency Department: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Ann Emerg Med. 2017;August;70(2):177–84.

5.Dove D, Fassassi C, Davis A, Drapkin J, Butt M, Hossain R, Kabariti S, Likourezos A, Gohel A, Favale P, et al.: Comparison of Nebulized Ketamine at Three Different Dosing Regimens for Treating Painful Conditions in the Emergency Department: A Prospective, Randomized, Double-Blind Clinical Trial. Annals of Emergency Medicine. 2021;December;78(6):779–87.

6.Patrick C, Smith M, Rafique Z, Rogers Keene K, De La Rosa X: Nebulized Ketamine for Analgesia in the Prehospital Setting: A Case Series. Prehospital Emergency Care. 2023;February 17;27(2):269–74.