Placebo versus low-dose ketamine infusion in addition to remifentanil target-controlled infusion for conscious sedation during oocyte retrieval: A double-blinded, randomised controlled trial

BACKGROUND Currently, there is no gold standard for monitored anaesthesia care during oocyte retrieval. OBJECTIVE In our institution, the standard is a conscious sedation technique using a target-controlled infusion (TCI) of remifentanil, titrated to maintain a visual analogue pain score less than 30 mm. This protocol is well accepted by patients but is associated with frequent episodes of respiratory depression. The main objective of this study was to evaluate whether the addition of a continuous intravenous infusion of ketamine could reduce these episodes. DESIGN Controlled, randomised, prospective, double-blinded study. SETTING The current study was conducted in a tertiary-level hospital in Brussels (Belgium) from December 2013 to June 2014. PATIENTS Of the 132 women undergoing oocyte retrieval included, 121 completed the study. INTERVENTION After randomisation, patients received either a ketamine infusion (40 μg kg−1 min−1 over 5 min followed by 2.5 μg kg−1 min−1) or a 0.9% saline infusion in addition to the variable remifentanil TCI. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The primary outcome was the number of respiratory depression episodes. Effect site target remifentanil concentrations, side effects, pain score, patient satisfaction and incidence of pregnancy were also recorded. RESULTS No significant difference in the incidence of respiratory events was noted (pulse oximetry oxygen saturation 

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