Ketamine can effectively be used as part of a multimodal analgesic regimen in pediatric patients in non‐critical care settings. Our five‐year experience using low‐dose ketamine infusions highlights an acceptable side effect profile, with no attributable escalations in care or serious adverse events.

About 172 patients received 270 subhypnotic ketamine infusions. The median duration of the infusions was 63.8 hours and 0.2 mg/kg/hour for the highest dose. The primary indication for ketamine was chronic pain exacerbation (83.3%).

Patients aged 0‐21 years receiving low‐dose ketamine infusions (≤0.3 mg/kg/hour) in inpatient care units over five years were retrospectively analyzed. Demographics, specific quality metrics, and side effects were quantified.

Our retrospective analysis of 270 low dose ketamine infusions demonstrates an analgesic benefit with an acceptable side effect profile, suggesting that we have established a system for its effective use in routine clinical wards. Although we documented an improvement in pain scores (VRS/rFLACC), we did not see a diminution of opioid consumption.

We hope that our data will provide a framework for other institutions to consider transitioning policy to allow for liberalized ketamine use. By increasing accessibility, we hope to promote its use to improve the multimodal management of pediatric pain.

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