[Ketamine and preemptive analgesia.].
BACKAGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Since the finding that ketamine blocks NMDA receptors in the neurons of spinal dorsal horn, it has been used to inhibit or decrease central sensitization triggered by nociceptive stimulations. This study aimed at presenting pharmacological aspects of racemic ketamine and its levogyrous compound, as well as its usefulness for preemptive analgesia.


BACKGROUND
Current preemptive analgesia concepts, pharmacological aspects of ketamine and its levogyrous compound, as well as experimental and clinical trials on ketamine and its use in preemptive analgesia are presented.


CONCLUSIONS
The efficacy of ketamine in inhibiting or decreasing central sensitization triggered by nociceptive stimulations is not totally confirmed, probably due to different study and statistical analysis methods.
Oliveira
Caio Márcio Barros de
CM
Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo.
Sakata
Rioko Kimiko
RK
Issy
Adriana Machado
AM
Garcia
João Batista Santos
JB