Continuous Infusion of Ketamine for Out-of-hospital Isolated Orthopedic Injuries Secondary to Trauma: A Randomized Controlled Trial

66 patients with isolated traumatic orthopaedic injuries requiring transport to hospital were treated out-of-hospital with an initial intravenous morphine and ketamine bolus, and then randomized to receive either a continuous ketamine or saline infusion. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of continuous ketamine on additional analgesia needs and pain score during transport to the emergency department. Median treatment time was 35 minutes in both groups. Morphine consumption (excluding initial dose) and pain scores were similar between groups when they were evaluated upon arrival to the hospital.