Anesthesia & Clinical Research
Open Access

Abstract

Use of Ketamine in Rural Area at the East of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)

Joel Kambale Ketha, Michel Kalongo Ilumbulumbu, Moise Muhindo Valimungighe, Blaise Pascal Furaha Nzanzu, Piet Bekaert, Paulin Ruhatho Banguti, Dalton Kambale Munyambalu, Franck Katembo Sikakulya and Roger Eltringham

Introduction: Ketamine is the most commonly used agent for general anesthesia in rural hospitals in the DRC, for victims of armed conflict, in locations with few resources, equipment, medicines, and in opportunities to transfer patients who are very ill. The object of this study was to evaluate the use of general anesthesia with ketamine in the working conditions of the East of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Methodology: This was a retrospective and descriptive study conducted at the Referral Health Center Eringeti, in the east of the DRC from 1st January to 31st December 2017.

Results: 771 patients underwent general anesthesia with ketamine. Females were more represented (85.86%). The average age of the operated was 30 ± 5 years. 97.4% of the operated patients were classified as ASA II and the intermediate surgical risk was more represented in 82.9%. Caesareans section represented 80.5% of cases. The operating room staff had no doctor or nurse anesthetist. The adverse effects of ketamine recorded were arterial hypertension, salivary hyper secretion and respiratory distress respectively in 10.2%, 5.5% and 4.8% of cases. 30.8% of the patients were agitated on awakening and 22.6% had hallucinations. No deaths were recorded.

Conclusion: Ketamine remains the most used anesthetic in rural areas with a shortage of qualified personnel and insufficient equipment.