Article summary
This non-randomised, open-label, single-group pilot study (n=8) will evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a single intramuscular dose of ketamine 35mg/70kg for the acute reduction of suicidal distress in adults with unipolar depression undergoing psychiatric boarding in the Evanston Hospital Emergency Department. Eligible participants will have retained decision-making capacity and voluntarily consented to inpatient psychiatric admission. They will complete clinical assessments before and after dosing, undergo mandatory 1-hour observation, and complete an exit survey. The study will compare emergency department time for dosing participants with that of a retrospective comparator group, while optional surveys of emergency and research staff will assess perceptions of protocol feasibility and acceptability. A chart review will also characterise the volume and patterns of patients presenting with suicidal distress.
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