Ketamine for Adults With Treatment-Resistant Depression or Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A 2023 Update
Canadian Journal of Health Technologies January 17, 2024 Angela M. Barbara, Weiyi Xie, Quenby Mahood et al. 4 citations
For adults with treatment-resistant depression (TRD), ketamine can lead to immediate improvement in depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation compared to placebo or midazolam, with effects lasting up to 28 days after a dose and serious side effects like dissociation being rare and short-lived. However, it is uncertain whether ketamine is effective or safe for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) due to little evidence. Most studies used intravenous ketamine; evidence for other routes is limited. An economic evaluation found IV ketamine likely cost-effective compared to intranasal esketamine from a US health care perspective but not from a patient perspective. US guidelines suggest ketamine as augmentation for TRD but not for PTSD.