The effects of a single dose of 5 mg-kg-(1) of ketamine administered
intravenously to 10 critically ill preterm infants prior to
epicutaneo-caval catheterization were analyzed using pulsedwave
Doppler ultrasound. The infants weighed between 670
and 1,885 g and their gestational ages ranged from 26 to 33
weeks. Arterial pressure (MAP), cardiac output (CO), transcutaneous
oxygen pressure (TCPO(2)), transcutaneous carbon
dioxide pressure (TCPCO(2)), end-diastolic velocity (EDV),
peak systolic velocity (PSV), mean arterial velocity (MAV) of
the cerebral anterior artery as well as Pourcelot’s resistance
index (PRI) were measured before and after injection of the
drug. We observed a significant decrease in arterial pressure at
2 min after injection while heart rate and CO did not vary
significantly. TCPO(2) and TCPCO(2), also remained unchanged
throughout the period of measurement. EDV, PSV, and MAV
did not vary significantly nor did PRI. As this drug provides
major comfort to the baby during painful procedures and considerably
facilitates difficult thin vessel catherization, we believe
that it may be used in such conditions.