AIIMS Nagpur NO- 2020
Pharmacology
Hard

All of the following are advantages of ketamine except:

Appeared in: AIIMS Nagpur NO- 2020

Explanation

  • The correct option is 'Sedation' because ketamine is distinguished from other anesthetics by its ability to produce profound analgesia and a dissociative state with relatively little sedation.
  • This unique property allows patients to maintain spontaneous breathing and protective airway reflexes, which is a significant advantage in many settings.
  • While a patient under ketamine is unconscious, the level of sedation is less profound compared to agents like propofol or barbiturates for a similar anesthetic effect.
  • The primary advantages are its powerful analgesic effects, the unique dissociative state it induces, and its rapid antidepressant action.

Why Other Options Were Wrong

  • Option A: This is incorrect because 'Dissociative anesthesia' is the hallmark and defining characteristic of ketamine's action. It is the unique state it produces, which is a primary feature, not an exception.
  • Option B: This is incorrect because 'Relief from pain' (analgesia) is one of the most significant and valued advantages of ketamine. It is a potent analgesic.
  • Option D: This is incorrect because 'Relief from depression' is a major, groundbreaking advantage of ketamine, especially for treatment-resistant cases. It is one of the most significant recent discoveries in psychiatry.

Related Visual

Visual explanation — Related Visual
Clinical Relevance
  • Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Pharmacological Properties of Ketamine as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
  • Ketamine's profile (strong analgesia, minimal respiratory depression) makes it invaluable in emergency medicine, pre-hospital care, pediatrics, and for short, painful procedures.
  • Nurses must be prepared to manage the potential side effects, particularly emergence reactions (hallucinations, agitation) as the patient wakes up. Providing a quiet, calm environment can help mitigate this.
  • What if? If a patient required deep sedation for a long procedure where muscle relaxation is also needed (e.g., abdominal surgery), ketamine alone would be a poor choice. In that case, a combination of other agents like propofol, a volatile anesthetic, and a neuromuscular blocker would be used.
How to Approach the Question
  • First, identify the negative keyword in the question: 'except'. This means you are looking for the option that is NOT an advantage of ketamine.
  • Review each option and evaluate it based on your knowledge of ketamine's pharmacology.
  • Option A, 'Dissociative anesthesia,' is the defining type of anesthesia it produces.
  • Option B, 'Relief from pain,' is a primary benefit (strong analgesia).
  • Option D, 'Relief from depression,' is a well-known modern use.
  • Option C, 'Sedation,' is the outlier. Recall that ketamine is unique because it causes anesthesia with less sedation and respiratory depression than other agents.
Concept Tested & Keywords
  • Concept Tested: Pharmacological Properties of Ketamine
  • Stem keywords: advantages, ketamine
  • Lead-in keywords: except
  • Negative lead-in flag: EXCEPT

Question ID

Qpxn23uHR2mqxwxxf_iL3Q

Reference Book

E6 Robert Boland, Marcia L. Verduin - Kaplan and Sadock's Comprehensive Text of Psychiatry-Wolters Kluwer Health (2024) (pp 1-16525 of 16525) p. 10973-10975

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