Prehospital emergency care : official journal of the National Association of EMS Physicians and the National Association of State EMS Directors
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Randomized Controlled Trial
A Comparison of ketamine and Morphine Analgesia in Prehospital Trauma Care: A Cluster Randomized Clinical Trial in Rural Quang Tri Province, Vietnam.
The use of opioid analgesics in prehospital trauma care has been reported to have negative side effects on the airway and circulation. Several studies of urban trauma management have recommend ketamine as a safe and efficient analgesic. To date, however, no controlled trials of prehospital opioid analgesics versus ketamine in rural trauma management have been published. ⋯ Ketamine had an analgesic effect similar to morphine and carried a lower risk of airway problems. The risk of hallucinations and agitation was increased in the ketamine group. These findings are of medical significance, particularly in rough and low-resource scenarios.