Objectives: Low-dose ketamine has been considered a good substitute for opioids for controlling postoperative pain. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of low-dose intravenous ketamine following cesarean section with spinal anesthesia on postoperative pain and its potential complications.
Methods: One hundred and sixty pregnant women volunteered to participate in this randomized controlled trial. Participants were randomly divided into two groups (n=80 for each group). Five minutes after delivery, the experimental group received 0.25mg/kg ketamine while the control group received the same amount of normal saline.
Results: There was a significant difference between the two groups in the severity of pain at one, two, six, and 12 hours following surgery. Postoperative pain was significantly less severe in the experimental group. Compared to the control group, the experimental group felt pain less frequently and therefore asked for analgesics less often. On average, the number of doses of analgesics used for the participants in the experimental group was significantly less than the number of doses used for the control group. Analgesic side effects (including nausea, itching, and headache) were not significantly different between the two groups. However, vomiting was significantly more prevalent in the control group and hallucination was more common in the experimental group.
Conclusion: We conclude that administration of low doses of ketamine after spinal anesthesia reduces the need for analgesics and has fewer side effects than using opioids. Further studies are required to determine the proper dose of ketamine which offers maximum analgesic effect. Furthermore, administration of low-dose ketamine in combination with other medications in order to minimize its side effects warrants further investigation.
Keywords: Anesthesia, Spinal; Cesarean Section; Ketamine; Pain, Postoperative.