title: A systematic review of ketamine for complex regional pain syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This systematic review aims to examine the available literature and to synthesize published data concerning the treatment of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) with ketamine.
  
  
  METHODS
  The search was conducted utilizing the databases Medline, Embase and the Cochrane Central Registry of Controlled Trials. All relevant articles were systematically reviewed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The search yielded 262 articles, 45 of which met the inclusion/exclusion criteria. Of those included, 6 were reviews, 5 were randomized placebo-controlled trials, 13 were observational studies, and 21 were case reports.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is no high quality evidence available evaluating the efficacy of ketamine for CRPS and all manuscripts examined in this review were of moderate to low quality. Therefore, we conclude there is currently only weak evidence supporting the efficacy of ketamine for CRPS, yet there is clearly a rationale for definitive study.
authors.affiliation: Center for Pain Studies, Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
authors.forename: Sara B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Connolly
authors.affiliation: Center for the Rehabilitation Pain Syndromes (CRPS) at UCLA Medical Plaza, Los Angeles, California, USA.|Departments of Anesthesiology and Internal Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA.
authors.forename: Joshua P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Prager
authors.affiliation: Center for Pain Studies, Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA.|Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
authors.forename: R Norman
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Harden
mesh_terms: D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D020918:Complex Regional Pain Syndromes / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007649:Ketamine / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D007649:Ketamine
keywords: Analgesic; Complex Regional Pain Syndrome; Ketamine; N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Antagonists