Ventricular tachycardia after ketamine sedation for fracture reduction

Pediatr Emerg Care. 2014 Oct;30(10):730-2. doi: 10.1097/PEC.0000000000000237.

Abstract

This case report describes a 10-year-old female patient who underwent ketamine sedation for fracture reduction and experienced asymptomatic ventricular tachycardia after the sedation. She had no history of syncope, chest pain, palpations, or light-headedness and had a normal physical examination. This is the first reported case of a patient experiencing ventricular tachycardia after ketamine use for sedation. This case demonstrates a serious and potentially harmful possible adverse effect of ketamine administration.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Anesthetics, Dissociative / adverse effects*
  • Child
  • Conscious Sedation
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Ketamine / adverse effects*
  • Radius Fractures / surgery
  • Tachycardia, Ventricular / chemically induced*
  • Ulna Fractures / surgery

Substances

  • Anesthetics, Dissociative
  • Ketamine