The Stability of a Ketamine-Morphine Solution

Abstract

Recent advances in acute pain mechanisms and management have implicated the N-methyl D-aspartate receptor-ion channel complex in the development of postoperative hyperalgesia and acute opioid tolerance. N-methyl D-aspartate receptor antagonists such as ketamine have been used increasingly in clinical studies in an effort to minimize acute postoperative pain and reduce opioid requirements. A mixture of ketamine and an opioid administered in the same solution and syringe would be a practical and useful technique for postoperative epidural analgesia, continuous IV infusion, or patient-controlled IV analgesia. We investigated the stability of a morphine sulfate and racemic ketamine solution in saline at pH 5.5–7.5 over a period of 4 days. Our study demonstrates that the ketamine-morphine mixture at a clinically relevant concentration seems to be stable at room temperature, at a wide range of pH values, for at least 4 days.