Home > News > International conference on prehospital trauma care analgesic – use of Ketamine as a pain relief drug

Dong Ha, Quang Tri (15 March 2012)

An international workshop on prehospital trauma care analgesic – use of Ketamine as a pain relief drug was held in Dong Ha City, Quang Tri Province by the Department of Health (DoH) in coordination with Norway-based Tromsoe Mine Victim Resource Center (TMC) and Project RENEW.

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Standing Deputy Chairman of Quang Tri Province People's Committee, Mr. Nguyen Duc Chinh, delivers his opening speech.

Standing Deputy Chairman of Quang Tri Province People’s Committee, Mr. Nguyen Duc Chinh, delivers his opening speech.

The conference was attended by international experts from the London Royal Hospital (UK), North Norway University Hospital and Trauma Care Associations of Iraq and Cambodia. National participants included representatives of the Ministry of Health, Medical Universities of Ho Chi Minh City, Hue and Hanoi, Military Hospital 103, Hue Central Hospital, Health Departments of Quang Binh, Thua Thien Hue and Da Nang and leaders of district hospitals in Quang Tri Province.

The conference presented the findings of the study comparing the analgesic effect and adverse effects of ketamine and morphine in prehospital trauma care in Quang Tri, which was conducted by DoH from March 2008 to March 2009 in eight Quang Tri Province districts. The study was sponsored by TMC through Project RENEW. The research proves that the analgesic effect of ketamine is the same as that of morphine but its adverse effects like nausea/vomiting are less then those of morphine – the pain relief drug that is mostly used in prehospital trauma care.

In addition, the conference participants had opportunities to share experiences of using ketamine by London Center of Helicopter Emergency Medical Service, Iraq experience of 10 years providing trauma care to war victims and traffic accident survivors as well as Cambodia’s pain relief experience in dealing with mine victims.

Quang Tri is a province that suffers devastating consequences of unexploded ordnance (UXO). Between 1975 and 2010, the province had 7,075 UXO casualties, accounting for 1.2 % of the total population. More than 90% of the survivors reside in rural and far-off areas. The success of the study on pain relief in prehospital trauma care – the use of Ketamine will contribute to finding a safe and effective analgesic drug which has the least adverse effects for victims traumatized by UXO accidents and other types of accidents in Quang Tri as well as to promoting broad application of ketamine nationwide

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