Abstract

VARGAS RUMOROSO, Karla Sofía  and  SALAS HERRERA, Isaías. Ketamina en el manejo del dolor refractario por cáncer. Acta méd. costarric [online]. 2006, vol.48, n.2, pp. 61-65. ISSN 0001-6012.

Patients with cancer suffer moderate to severe pain during the course of their disease, mainly during the terminal phase. The World Health Organization Pain Relief Ladder has been used as a therapeutic guide for the treatment of these patients, which uses 3 kinds of drugs: opioids, non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and adjuvants. Ketamine is one of the latter; it is a phencyclidine derivative that interacts with N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors. Traditionally it has been used as an anesthesia induction drug, and subanesthetic doses are used for relief of pain refractory to opioids.

Keywords : pain; cancer; analgesia; ketamine.