The use of intravenous infusion or single dose of low-dose ketamine for postoperative analgesia: a review of the current literature.

As an analgesic and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist, ketamine has been increasingly used as an adjunct in the management of acute perioperative pain. Although several meta-analyses have examined low-dose intravenous (i.v.) ketamine, they do not distinguish between different types of infusions. Additionally, the many clinical trials published on ketamine vary by regimen of administration and surgical site. This review seeks to exclusively examine the evidence supporting the use of low-dose i.v. infusion of ketamine for the management of perioperative pain.