Effectiveness of ketamine/esketamine in alleviating postoperative fatigue: a systematic review
Qijing Liu, Ying Liu, Qian Fu, Boxiong Gao, Chengying Ji, Jiayi Xie, Bo Yang, Jingyi Xie, Abdulrahman Khaled Alwesabi, Yatao Liu
International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy November 12, 2025 DOI: 10.1007/s11096-025-02052-5 via OpenAlex
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractKetamine and esketamine may help reduce postoperative fatigue (POF), especially after major abdominal surgeries. However, this evidence is uncertain because the studies reviewed used different designs, measured fatigue in various ways and at different times, and had small numbers of participants. More rigorous randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm these effects and determine the best doses.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Interventions | Ketamine Esketamine |
| Keywords | Dosing Pharmacy Medline Sample size determination Randomized controlled trial |
| Citations | 2 |
| Key finding | Ketamine/esketamine may alleviate postoperative fatigue, particularly after major abdominal surgeries, but the evidence is limited by heterogeneous study designs and small sample sizes. |
Abstract
Current evidence suggests that ketamine/esketamine may be effective in alleviating POF, particularly in major abdominal surgeries. These findings should be interpreted cautiously due to the heterogeneity in study designs, variations in fatigue assessment tools and time, and the limited sample sizes of the included studies. Future high-quality RCTs are needed to confirm these observations and establish the optimal dosing regimens.