Suicide versus Accidental Death by Autoerotic Asphyxiation in a Patient Receiving Intravenous Ketamine for Depression
Case Reports in Psychiatry April 26, 2022 Jeremy Weleff, Kelly A. Bryant, Alexsandra Kovacevich et al. 5 citations
A 28-year-old man with multiple psychiatric and medical conditions died approximately four days after his seventh ketamine infusion for treatment-resistant depression. His depression and suicidality briefly remitted after ketamine but were short-lived. The cause of death was either suicide or accidental autoerotic asphyxiation; the authors consider suicide more likely given his history of severe suicidality, past suicide attempts, and family history of suicide. The case highlights gaps in understanding suicide-related risks of subanesthetic intravenous ketamine treatment for mood disorders and suicidality.