Ketamine Sedation Decreases Survival after Extremity Trauma and Moderate Hemorrhage in Rats
Authors: Pando Miryam , Rodriguez Cassandra , Connor Brian , Chavez Roger , Ryan Kathy , Klemcke Harold , Hinojosa-Laborde Carmen 
Published: May 2024

Objective: Traumatic hemorrhage (HEM) is often associated with pain. The use of ketamine (KET) has increased both on the battlefield and in civilian emergency care for analgesia and sedation. We have reported that an analgesic dose of KET does not impact cardiorespiratory responses or survival after HEM (JAP 130: 1583-1593, 2021). In this study, we measured the effects of a larger, sedative, dose of KET on cardiovascular responses and survival to moderate (37% blood volume) HEM combined with extremity trauma (ET), and whether midazolam (MDZ), a drug often given in combination with KET alters these responses. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that either KET (50 mg/kg) or KET+MDZ (5 mg/kg) would compromise cardiovascular responses to HEM and thereby decrease survival. Methods: Male rats were implanted with a telemetry transmitter to measure mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR); buprenorphine SR was used to relieve pain associated with surgical procedures. Following 2 weeks recovery, rats were anesthetized using isoflurane, and a carotid catheter was implanted. The next day, rats were briefly anesthetized using isoflurane to perform ET (fibular fracture + hindlimb soft tissue crush injury) and were allowed to recover 90 min before starting conscious HEM (time = 0-25 min). Rats received either 1) saline vehicle (VEH, n=8); 2) KET (n=8); or 3) KET followed by MDZ (KET+MDZ; n=9) during a 15 min infusion (t = 25-40 min). The study continued for 200 minutes (time = 40-240 min). Data are mean ± SD. Results: There were no differences between groups in MAP or HR at either baseline (t = 0 min) or at end of HEM (t = 25 min). However, during the 20 min after treatment (t = 40-60 min), MAP and HR were significantly lower (P≤0.05) in KET (46 ± 3 mmHg; 220 ± 11 bpm) and KET+MDZ (45 ± 10 mmHg; 212 ± 24 bpm) compared to VEH (68 ± 20 mmHg; 297 ± 37 bpm). During this time, only 3 of 8 rats in the KET group survived HEM, while all rats survived in VEH and KET+MDZ groups. At the end of the study (t = 240 min), survival rate was significantly lower (P=0.003) in KET (37.5%) compared to VEH (87.5%) or KET+MDZ (100%). Similarly, survival time was significantly lower (P=0.004) in KET (115 ± 103 min) compared to VEH (227 ± 37 min) or KET+MDZ (240 ± 0 min). Summary of Results: A sedative dose of KET decreased survival following HEM, but the same dose of KET followed by MDZ was protective. The MDZ effect was not due to improvements in cardiovascular responses to the HEM. Conclusion: Sedation with ketamine alone after trauma and moderate HEM decreased survival. Further studies of the effects of sedation with KET alone or KET+MDZ on respiration and metabolic responses to HEM may provide insight on the overall effect on survival. Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP). This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.