Esketamine for Preventing Catheter-Related Bladder Discomfort After Ureteroscopic Lithotripsy: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
BMC anesthesiology July 29, 2025 Zhaoli Wang, Hongqin Li, Yu Wang et al. 2 citations
A 0.25 mg/kg dose of esketamine, given during ureteroscopic lithotripsy, reduced the incidence of moderate-to-severe catheter-related bladder discomfort immediately after surgery from 33.9% with placebo to 9.1%. The higher dose also lowered discomfort at 1 and 6 hours postoperatively and reduced the need for tramadol rescue pain medication. A lower dose of 0.15 mg/kg did not produce significant benefits. No increase in adverse effects was observed with the 0.25 mg/kg dose, suggesting it is a safe and effective option for preventing this distressing complication.