Placebo Versus Low-dose Ketamine Infusion in Addition to Remifentanil Target-controlled Infusion for Conscious Sedation During Oocyte Retrieval: A Double-blinded, Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

(Eur J Anaesthesiol. 2018;35:667–674) Since the dawn of in vitro fertilization (IVF) 40 years ago, the technique for oocyte retrieval as well as the anesthesia provided for this procedure have evolved. Conscious sedation is now the most common anesthesia technique for oocyte retrieval in both the United Kingdom and the United States. At the current investigators’ institution, a combination of anxiolysis and titration of remifentanil using a target-controlled infusion (TCI) has been the standard anesthetic technique for oocyte retrieval since 2009. This study aimed to determine if the addition of a low-dose ketamine infusion to the standard TCI remifentanil would reduce the occurence of oxygen desaturation or respiratory depression during the procedure.