413 Out-of-Hospital Use of Ketamine for Agitation and Subsequent Emergency Department Intubation: A Retrospective Study

Does ketamine provide a shorter time to sedation when compared to haloperidol and midazolam in the agitated ED patient?

“…While effective, these medications are slow to work and have unwanted side effects including respiratory depression [ 1 ]. Given ketamine’s rapid onset and favorable side effect profile, the American College of Emergency Physicians has recommended its use for the rapid sedation of severely agitated patients whilst recognizing the need for further high-quality studies to establish safety/efficacy [ 2 , 3 ]. Local experts in Toronto suggest using intramuscular ketamine in very agitated patients who are at imminent risk of harm to themselves or staff and require rapid sedation to facilitate a safe and thorough assessment.…”