Ketamine Tolerated Dose to Prevent Postpartum Depression and Pain After Cesarean Delivery

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Trial end date: 2026-07-01
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: Female

Summary

The purpose of this study is to identify a tolerable dose for postpartum ketamine infusion using a maximum tolerated dose (MTD) 3+3 design. A loading dose over 1 hour will be the MTD variable to be tested, as our data suggest that ketamine side effects occur with the loading dose.

The subanesthetic ketamine dose will be well tolerated and noted side effects will be acceptable by postpartum women following cesarean delivery.

• Phase: Phase 1
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Details

• Lead Sponsor: Grace Lim, MD, MS
• Treatments: Ketamine

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• Adults 18 years and older

• Cesarean Delivery

• American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status of 2 or 3

• Neuraxial anesthesia with neuraxial morphine

• Term delivery ≥37 weeks gestation

• Either planning not to breastfeed, OR receiving ketamine as part of routine clinical care

Exclusion Criteria:

• General anesthesia

• Allergy to study medications

• ASA PS 4 or higher

• Contraindications to neuraxial anesthesia

• Preterm delivery (<37 weeks gestation)

• Anticipated fetal-neonatal complex care plan

• Participating in another pain intervention trial

• Hypertensive disorder of pregnancy

• Pre-eclampsia with severe features

• Hemodynamic instability

• Medical History exclusions: ketamine or PCP (phencyclidine) abuse, schizophrenia or psychosis, liver or renal insufficiency, uncontrolled hypertension, chest pain, arrhythmia, head trauma, or intracranial hypertension, uncontrolled thyroid disease, or other contraindications to ketamine