Intravenous Ketamine Treatment for Depression: One-year Retrospective Study from a Tertiary Care Psychiatry Center from India.

Abstract

Background: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a debilitating mental health condition characterized by significant morbidity and mortality. The emergence of ketamine infusion therapy has provided a promising, rapidly acting treatment option. We aimed to assess the effectiveness of ketamine infusion therapy as an adjunct treatment in patients with depression and to study the patient's profile undergoing ketamine therapy in a real-world clinical setting.

Methods: This was a retrospective chart review. A total of 28 patients with depression who received ketamine infusion therapy at a tertiary care hospital were included in this retrospective analysis. The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD) was utilized to assess depressive symptomatology.

Results: A statistically significant reduction in HAMD scores was observed post-treatment (P < .0001). Notably, 53.6% of patients achieved a therapeutic response (≥50% decrease in HAMD score), while 39.3% attained remission (HAMD score < 7) after an average of 4.6 ketamine infusions. Furthermore, a substantial decrease in suicidal ideation was observed in 71.4% of patients.

Conclusion: The finding of this study indicates that ketamine infusion therapy is safe and effective as a rapidly acting adjunct treatment for depression.