Dose-dependent relationship between intra-operative ketamine administration and postoperative delirium: a retrospective cohort study.
Anaesthesia July 6, 2025 Lars Kaiser, Béla-Simon Paschold, Luca J Wachtendorf et al. 12 citations
Among over 100,000 adults undergoing general anesthesia for non-cardiac, non-neurosurgical, and non-transplant procedures, low-dose ketamine (0.35 mg/kg or less) given during surgery was associated with a 26% lower odds of postoperative delirium within 7 days compared to no ketamine, with an absolute risk reduction of 0.7%. Higher doses of ketamine did not affect delirium risk. The dose-response relationship was U-shaped, with the lowest delirium risk at cumulative doses of 0.25–0.34 mg/kg.