Therapeutic Values of Ketamine for COVID-19-Cared Patients: An Expert’s Point of View

Abstract

Ketamine has long been used in the field of anesthesia [1]. Its rapid and long-acting analgesic effects associated with its dissociative properties have also established its use in prehospital and emergency department patients [2]. Both the Dand the S-ketamine enantiomers are included in the list of narcotic drugs, and therefore ketamine is legally administered under surveillance. The drug has been widely accepted for its effectiveness, and has been deemed to be advantageous even during the COVID-19 pandemic [3,4]. Ketamine has also been shown to possess antidepressant properties and to be effective for even major depressive disorders. This brief opinion review describes the beneficial use of ketamine for pandemic–associated depressive states during hospitalization and its modes of administration.