Research Snapshot: A solution to the ‘anaesthesia gap’?

This document provides a two-page summary of the research undertaken as part of the R2HC-funded study Every Second Matters–Ketamine Humanitarian Crisis.

Every Second Matters for Mothers and Babies - Ketamine for Painful Procedures and Emergency Caesarean Section (ESM-Ketamine) is a package of measures designed to be used in contexts where there is no anaesthetist. This study helped gain a clearer picture of the feasibility, safety and cost-effectiveness of ESM-Ketamine in humanitarian and resource-limited settings and produced a manual to guide providers in the use of ketamine as an anaesthetic.

This Snapshot summarises:

• Background to the research and how the research was conducted,
• Key findings,
• Implications for humanitarian practitioners and policymakers,
• Recommendations,
• Further reading.