After nearly half a century on the market, ketamine still occupies a unique corner in the medical armamentarium of anesthesiologists or clinicians treating pain. Over the last two decades, much research has been conducted highlighting the drug's mechanisms of action, specifically those of its enantiomers. Nowadays, ketamine is also being utilized for pediatric pain control in emergency department, with its anti-hyperalgesic and anti-inflammatory effects being revealed in acute and chronic pain management. Recently, new insights have been gained on ketamine's potential anti-depressive and antisuicidal effects. This article provides an overview of the drug's pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics while also discussing the potential benefits and risks of ketamine administration in various clinical settings.

Chronic postsurgical pain (CPSP) is a possible complication of various surgical procedures, which can impair patients' quality of life while also contributing to chronic opioid use. Multiple biopsychosocial factors put patients at risk for CPSP. Multimodal analgesia with the use of various pharmacologic and regional anesthetic techniques can help reduce the incidence and severity of CPSP. However, the relationship between various perioperative analgesic strategies and the development of CPSP is not fully understood. Although the use of multimodal analgesia will not automatically prevent CPSP and/or prolonged opioid consumption, there is potential to do so, especially by means of regional techniques.

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