Ketamine: An Update for Obstetric Anesthesia

Abstract

Ketamine was widely used in obstetric anesthesia soon after its invention. It was gradually less considered, if not forgotten, by medical community with the appearance of new general anaesthetics and more effective neuraxial analgesia. Research in the last 2 decades has reanimated ketamine as a potent analgesic and possible antidepressant. In this review, we will briefly summarize obstetric relevant pharmacology of ketamine; present the previous clinical experiences with ketamine in parturient; and discuss some controversies on its clinical application in obstetric anesthesia and possible future research.