Trends in poisonings involving ketamine in the United States, 2019-2023.
Drug and alcohol dependence March 1, 2025 Joseph J Palamar, Jennifer S Jewell, Omar El-Shahawy et al. 9 citations
Reported ketamine poisonings in the US rose from 205 in 2019 to 414 in 2023, the highest in reporting history. Most cases involved ingestion (57.2%) and misuse or abuse (36.2%). The proportion of cases involving suspected suicide attempts doubled from 12.7% to 25.9%, and ingestion increased from 46.0% to 65.2%. Cases with major effects or death decreased from 23.4% to 15.6%. Overall, 18.6% of cases experienced a major event or death, but prevalence was lower for those who inhaled ketamine compared to those who did not. Both medical and recreational use and related adverse events need monitoring, especially as off-label prescribing of take-home oral formulations appears to be increasing.