Ketamine for Mood Disorders With Suicidal Ideation
Status:
Recruiting
Trial end date:
2021-12-31
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
This study will explore whether the use of a medication, Ketamine, can help patients who come
to the ER with thoughts of suicide by improving their mood and reducing thoughts of suicide.
Ketamine has been used for this purpose in patients who have been hospitalized, but it has
not been well studied in the ER. The investigators are first trying to show that patients and
doctors in the ER find the treatment acceptable. The investigators also hope to determine
whether Ketamine is effective in decreasing the severity of patient's suicidal thinking while
in the ER. If this treatment works, future studies will look at whether it can help patients
be discharged from the hospital earlier.
Research Procedures: Patients will be enrolled into the study on a voluntary basis after the
research assistant has fully explained all the risks and benefits of the study (informed
consent). Research assistants, Emergency Department staff, and the Psychiatry team will help
identify patients for the study. Patients will be asked to complete surveys measuring the
degree of their suicidal thinking and mood. Additional information will be collected on
patients such as their demographics, current medications, and medical problems. Patients in
the study will receive the medication, Ketamine, which will be given through an intravenous
catheter (IV) at a dose based on the patient's weight and slowly infused over 40 minutes.
Patients will be monitored during their stay in the Emergency Department by Emergency
Department physicians and nurses for any signs of side effects to the medication. Patients
will be asked to complete several surveys at specific time periods after the administration
of Ketamine. All patients in the study will receive usual psychiatric care in addition to the
study medication.