Esketamine Sedation

Advice following Emergency Department attendance

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Sedation with Esketamine

Esketamine and Ketamine are medicines that are used to make children sleepy and reduce pain when they need a painful procedure. Examples of painful procedures are things like repair of large cuts or wounds and the straightening of broken bones/ dislocated joints.

What effect will Esketamine have on my child?

Esketamine is a medicine that causes ‘dissociation’. This means the brain does not detect or remember pain.

Your child may have their eyes open and have movements of their arms and legs, but they will not respond to voices or pain.

How is Esketamine given?

Esketamine will usually be given by an injection into an intravenous drip. It also may be given as an injection into the muscle of the leg or sometimes by getting the child to sniff it through their nose.

If given intravenously (through a vein) Esketamine will take effect within 1-3 minutes.

If Esketamine is injected into the leg it will take a few minutes longer to take effect.

A second dose of Esketamine may be required if your child is not sleepy enough or is having a long procedure.

Does Esketamine have side effects?

Like with all medicines there are possible side effects.

The most common side effects are:

Nausea (feeling sick) and vomiting (being sick)
Drooling
Agitation on waking

The doctor may give your child other medication to control these effects.

There is a very slight possibility that your child may briefly require help with breathing. This is very rare but we make sure we have the equipment to help with this if your child needs it, and we are continuously monitoring them during the procedure for any problems.

How long will it take my child to recover?

This varies with different children and the amount and way the medicine was given.

In general most children will need to be observed in hospital for about 1-2 hours before going home

What will I need to watch out for after discharge home?

It is common for children to be sleepy and mildly unsteady on their feet for up to 6 hours after sedation with Esketamine. They should not do any activities that require coordination and concentration such as climbing frames, bike riding etc.

Will my child be able to eat and drink as normal when we get home?

For the first few hours do not give your child a large meal as this may make them vomit or feel sick. If your child does feel sick or they vomit give your child clear fluids only until they feel well enough to eat again.

Ring the hospital or take your child back to the Emergency Department if:

Your child is repeatedly vomiting
Your child develops any breathing difficulty
Your child is difficult to wake up
Your child becomes very agitated or upset

This leaflet only gives general information. You must always discuss the individual treatment of your child with the appropriate member of staff. Do not rely on this leaflet alone for information about your child’s treatment.

This information can be made available in other languages and formats if requested.