BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES:
Pain is a major source of stress for patients in the postoperative period, impairing recovery, mobility and hospital discharge. This study aimed at presenting the use of intravenous dextroketamine to treat a patient with severe postoperative pain in intensive care unit.
CASE REPORT:
Male patient, 36 years old, single, Caucasian, fisherman, living in the city of São Luís, submitted to major thoracic tumor removal (Shwanomma) with severe pain not controlled with opioids and simple analgesics, being necessary the use of adjuvants such as continuous intravenous dextroketamine, which has allowed mechanical ventilation weaning and patient’s recovery in the postoperative period.
CONCLUSION:
Low-dose intravenous dextroketamine associated to morphine has shown good safety and better control of severe postoperative pain in patient submitted to thoracotomy and admitted to an intensive care unit.
Dextroketamine; Difficult to control pain; Intensive care unit; Postoperative period