Ketamine for Severe Asthma Exacerbation

This study aimed to evaluate ventilator requirements, gas exchange, and safety outcomes before and after initiation of continuous infusion ketamine in intubated patients with severe asthma exacerbations (SAEs) in ICUs. This retrospective observational study included 38 intubated patients 18 years old or older experiencing an SAE who received a continuous infusion of ketamine for greater than or equal to 1 hour. The primary outcome was change in Pco2 before and after ketamine initiation. The median Pco2 before ketamine initiation was 67.65 mm Hg (56-81 mm Hg) and 64 mm Hg (56-77 mm Hg) after. The median pH before and after ketamine initiation was 7.21 (7.12-7.3) and 7.24 (7.14-7.3), respectively. The median maximum rate of ketamine was 1.2 mg/kg/hr (0.7-1.5 mg/kg/hr). Mortality occurred in 15.8% of patients. Tachycardia occurred in 52.6% of patients, and hypotension occurred in 50% of patients. The rate of emergence reactions was 13.2%. In this study, continuous infusion ketamine was not associated with an improvement in Pco2.