Ketamine Infusions and Rapid Reduction of Suicidal and Depressive Symptoms in Major Depressive Episode

Is intravenous ketamine efficacious in reducing suicidal and depressive symptoms in patients with a major depressive episode (MDE)?This systematic review and meta-analysis of 26 randomized clinical trials with 1166 patients with an MDE found that ketamine was efficacious in reducing suicidal and depressive symptoms rapidly, within hours. Reported serious adverse events (eg, deaths) were unrelated to the interventions, and other adverse events (eg, headache) were transient and resolved during the trials.While intravenous ketamine is not approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, the findings of this meta-analysis suggest that it may be considered an off-label treatment for those at risk of suicidal behaviors or those not responding to other treatments for depression.

Corresponding Author: Taeho Greg Rhee, PhD, Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, 263 Farmington Ave, Farmington, CT 06030 (tgrhee.research@gmail.com).

Link to the article in your story

We encourage you to link out to this article in your story using the link below. It includes an access token that will give free access to the article for your readers up to one year after publication. (The link will be live after the article publishes and embargo is lifted.)

Please see the article for additional information, including full author list, author contributions and affiliations, conflict of interest and financial disclosures, and funding and support.

Need more information? Contact us.