Feasibility and Safety of Ketamine for Suicidal Patients in the Emergency Department

This interventional trial (n=50) conducted by the University of Kansas Medical Center will assess the feasibility and safety of administering a single dose of ketamine to acutely suicidal patients in the Emergency Department.

Ketamine, known for its use in treatment-resistant depression, will be administered intravenously at a low dose of 0.2mg/kg. The primary objectives include determining the safety and feasibility of ketamine administration in the ED for suicidal patients, assessing its impact on depression and suicidal ideation, and evaluating its effect on the length of hospital stay. Patients will be monitored for two hours post-administration, and surveys will be conducted to assess symptoms.

This phase I trial aims to provide preliminary data on the efficacy of ketamine in reducing depressive and suicidal symptoms. Eligible participants must be acutely suicidal, with a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) of 15. Exclusion criteria include a history of psychosis, clinical intoxication, hypertension, pregnancy, or allergy to ketamine. The study is expected to start in December 2023 and complete by December 2024.

Topic Suicidality
Compound Ketamine
Country United States of America
Visit trial
Status Not yet recruiting
Results Published No
Start date 01 December 2023
End date 31 December 2024
Phase Phase I
Design Open
Type Interventional
Generation First
Participants 50
Sex All
Age 18- 65
Therapy No

Trial Details

There is currently no readily available pharmacologic intervention for suicidal ideation, a true psychiatric emergency, in the Emergency Department (ED). Investigators aim to trial low-dose, intravenous ketamine, a drug with well-established use in treatment-resistant depression, for patients who present to the ED with suicidal ideation.

NCT Number NCT06085937

Data attribution

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