Ketamine

Ketamine, we have all probably heard it mentioned on TV but what exactly is it? Ketamine is classified as a NMDA receptor antagonist and consist of a chlorophenyl and cyclohexanone group. It is commonly used in medicine as an anesthesia supplement; however it is also used in emergency medicine for pain relief, and in some cases for bronchospasms. Ketamine affects the body by increasing blood pressure, heart rate, does cause hallucinations for some individuals, however it does not suppress the respiratory system as much as many other anesthesia drugs. This is another reason why this drug is great for emergency medicine because there is not as much concern over the airway, although with any drug airway still needs to be monitored accordingly. This drug is also a good choice for patients whom just suffered a traumatic injury and are in need of immediate surgery; because usually these patients will have lost a great amount of blood volume and by administering ketamine it will help increase the blood pressure back to normal levels. However while administering ketamine will help with increasing the blood pressure, IV fluids will still need to be administered rapidly to increase it. 

http://ceaccp.oxfordjournals.org/content/7/2/59.full