Effect of Pretreatment with a Small Dose of Esketamine on Myoclonus Induced by Etomidate: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
Drug design, development and therapy January 1, 2024 Liangliang Gao, Xinyu Lu, Aiping Tan et al. 3 citations
Pretreating patients with a small dose of esketamine (0.15 mg/kg) two minutes before administering the anesthetic etomidate significantly reduces the occurrence and severity of muscle jerks (myoclonus) that etomidate often causes. In a trial with 100 adults undergoing general surgery, myoclonus occurred in 20% of those given esketamine versus 62% of those given a placebo. The pretreatment also lessened moderate and severe myoclonus, though it did not affect mild cases. Blood pressure and heart rate remained stable, and side effects such as dizziness, slow heart rate, low blood pressure, and hallucinations were similar between groups.