Ketamine Tied to Rapid Relief of Depression Symptoms
A systematic review found that intravenous ketamine provides rapid relief for adults with major depressive disorder, significantly reducing suicidal thoughts and depressive symptoms within hours. The study analyzed 26 clinical trials with over 1,100 patients, highlighting ketamine's potential as an emergency treatment for high-risk patients. Despite its off-label use, ketamine is gaining attention for its fast-acting antidepressant effects, although it is not FDA-approved for psychiatric conditions.
- ▪Intravenous ketamine was associated with rapid relief for adults with major depressive disorder.
- ▪The study included 26 randomized clinical trials involving 1166 patients.
- ▪Ketamine showed significant reductions in suicidal symptoms within 24 hours after a single infusion.
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Treatment with intravenous (IV) ketamine was associated with rapid relief for adults with major depressive disorder (MDD), providing significant reductions in suicidal thoughts and depressive symptoms within hours of a single infusion, a systematic review and meta-analysis found.The study, which analyzed 26 randomized clinical trials involving 1166 patients, updated evidence for ketamine as a fast-acting intervention in depression by incorporating more recent trials, including studies of repeated infusions.The speed of the antisuicidal effect could make IV ketamine a potential option in emergency treatment for patients at high risk for suicidal behavior, the researchers noted.“There is an urgent need for more effective interventions that rapidly reduce depressive symptoms and suicide…
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