Unexpected consequences: A case of ketamine-induced seizure in procedural sedation

This case report describes a 32-year-old male who underwent ketamine procedural sedation and experienced a generalized tonic–clonic seizure. Despite its rapid onset and favorable tolerance profile, this case emphasizes the potential convulsive side effects of ketamine, which is commonly used for pro...

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Main Authors: Adem Az, Yunus Doğan
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2024-10-01
Series:Turkish Journal of Emergency Medicine
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.lww.com/10.4103/tjem.tjem_67_24
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author Adem Az
Yunus Doğan
author_facet Adem Az
Yunus Doğan
author_sort Adem Az
collection DOAJ
description This case report describes a 32-year-old male who underwent ketamine procedural sedation and experienced a generalized tonic–clonic seizure. Despite its rapid onset and favorable tolerance profile, this case emphasizes the potential convulsive side effects of ketamine, which is commonly used for procedural sedation. While ketamine has shown promise in treating acute pain, refractory status epilepticus, and treatment-resistant depression and schizophrenia, it is associated with side effects such as hallucinations, visual disturbances, dizziness, nausea, and vomiting. The patient in this case received a carefully titrated dose of 40 mg of ketamine intravenously and underwent successful shoulder reduction while under sedation. However, within 60 s of receiving the ketamine, the patient experienced a 60-s seizure that was stopped with the administration of 5 mg of diazepam intravenously. The patient was hospitalized for further evaluation, including an electroencephalography (EEG) that showed no abnormalities. This case highlights the need for health-care professionals to be aware of the potential convulsive side effects of ketamine and to carefully monitor patients who receive ketamine sedation.
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spelling doaj-art-3e2fc20ffcfd4b81b1e65bd8ada6bb032025-08-20T02:13:06ZengWolters Kluwer Medknow PublicationsTurkish Journal of Emergency Medicine2452-24732024-10-0124425926110.4103/tjem.tjem_67_24Unexpected consequences: A case of ketamine-induced seizure in procedural sedationAdem AzYunus DoğanThis case report describes a 32-year-old male who underwent ketamine procedural sedation and experienced a generalized tonic–clonic seizure. Despite its rapid onset and favorable tolerance profile, this case emphasizes the potential convulsive side effects of ketamine, which is commonly used for procedural sedation. While ketamine has shown promise in treating acute pain, refractory status epilepticus, and treatment-resistant depression and schizophrenia, it is associated with side effects such as hallucinations, visual disturbances, dizziness, nausea, and vomiting. The patient in this case received a carefully titrated dose of 40 mg of ketamine intravenously and underwent successful shoulder reduction while under sedation. However, within 60 s of receiving the ketamine, the patient experienced a 60-s seizure that was stopped with the administration of 5 mg of diazepam intravenously. The patient was hospitalized for further evaluation, including an electroencephalography (EEG) that showed no abnormalities. This case highlights the need for health-care professionals to be aware of the potential convulsive side effects of ketamine and to carefully monitor patients who receive ketamine sedation.https://journals.lww.com/10.4103/tjem.tjem_67_24adverse effectketamineprocedural sedationseizure
spellingShingle Adem Az
Yunus Doğan
Unexpected consequences: A case of ketamine-induced seizure in procedural sedation
Turkish Journal of Emergency Medicine
adverse effect
ketamine
procedural sedation
seizure
title Unexpected consequences: A case of ketamine-induced seizure in procedural sedation
title_full Unexpected consequences: A case of ketamine-induced seizure in procedural sedation
title_fullStr Unexpected consequences: A case of ketamine-induced seizure in procedural sedation
title_full_unstemmed Unexpected consequences: A case of ketamine-induced seizure in procedural sedation
title_short Unexpected consequences: A case of ketamine-induced seizure in procedural sedation
title_sort unexpected consequences a case of ketamine induced seizure in procedural sedation
topic adverse effect
ketamine
procedural sedation
seizure
url https://journals.lww.com/10.4103/tjem.tjem_67_24
work_keys_str_mv AT ademaz unexpectedconsequencesacaseofketamineinducedseizureinproceduralsedation
AT yunusdogan unexpectedconsequencesacaseofketamineinducedseizureinproceduralsedation