Clinical practice guideline for emergency department ketamine dissociative sedation in children

We present an evidence-based clinical practice guideline for the administration of the dissociative agent ketamine for emergency department pediatric procedural sedation and analgesia. Substantial research in recent years has necessitated updates and revisions to the widely disseminated 1990 recommendations. We critically discuss indications, contraindications, personnel requirements, monitoring, dosing, coadministered medications, recovery issues, and future research questions for dissociative sedation.