Postoperative Analgesia with Ketamine and Pethidine

A double-blind trial compared ketamine with pethidine, pethidine alone at two dose levels and a placebo, in patients with postoperative pain. By assessment of pain intensity, observed relief and side-effects, the active drugs were clearly distinguishable from the placebo. With the doses used, however, the combination of ketamine with pethidine showed no advantage over pethidine alone.