Ketamine for Treatment-Resistant Depression
Mustansiriya Medical Journal July 1, 2021 Raad Saady Madhloom
Major depressive disorder affects about 350 million people worldwide. Antidepressant medications relieve symptoms in about 50% of cases, but the response rate is much lower in people who have already failed two or more adequate antidepressant trials, a condition called treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Ketamine, an older anesthetic drug, shows promise as a fast-acting antidepressant for TRD patients, though questions remain about the best route of administration, dose, and duration of action. Evidence also suggests ketamine may be effective for posttraumatic stress disorder and acute suicidal ideation.