An unusual reaction to ketamine in a child

Abstract

Ketamine, a phencyclidine derivative, is a very popular and commonly used parenteral anesthetic agent. It is a safe drug in unskilled hands and a drug of choice in high-risk patients. We report an unusual allergic reaction to Ketamine in a 2.5-year-old child with bilateral congenital inguinal hernia. This is to alert all practitioners to some of the rare but potentially fatal side effects of Ketamine. Anaphylactic reactions to Ketamine are a rare but potentially fatal occurrence. Management includes treatment of acute reactions and avoidance of future reactions. There is no known antidote or reversal agent to Ketamine. So, once it is administered, one must be ready for it to complete full duration of its action. Facilities for resuscitation must be available any time an anesthetic is being administered, no matter how short or minor the surgery is.