A 17-year-old male with a history of degloving injury to his left lower extremity following a traumatic ATV accident who has undergone 3 separate reconstructive surgeries, complicated by ongoing burning pain to the left lateral leg/foot. He presents to your clinic for preoperative evaluation preceding his last and most involved surgery. In addition to his home regimen (acetaminophen, celecoxib, amitriptyline, pregabalin, and sometimes oxycodone), his previous perioperative analgesic regimen included sciatic nerve blocks with indwelling catheters, scheduled ketorolac, and oxycodone and IV hydromorphone as needed for breakthrough pain. Despite this, his acute-on-chronic pain has been difficult to treat post-operatively, interfering with his sleep and recovery.


You discuss the option of adding a ketamine infusion to his regimen but the patient is hesitant about receiving ketamine, citing its association with a highly-publicized death of a celebrity. He tearfully describes knowing friends who became mentally altered temporarily after taking ketamine tablets obtained online. You would like to educate your patient about ketamine use in treating pain.


Which of the following statements is TRUE?