A comparison of ketamine sedation and general anaesthesia for manipulation of paediatric forearm fractures

The purpose of the study was to compare the use of ketamine sedation and general anaesthesia for manipulation of paediatric wrist and forearm fractures. A retrospective analysis was performed of patients under 16 years treated at our centre between October 2014 and October 2015. Exclusion criteria were open fractures and fractures with complete displacement. Outcomes measured were fracture reduction, the quality of the cast, fracture redisplacement, further surgical intervention and use of theatre time. 66 children were manipulated over the study period; 31 received ketamine sedation and 35 general anaesthesia. No statistically significant difference was found in the rate of re-intervention (p=0.48), quality of reduction (p=0.39), quality of cast (p=0.14 and p=0.21), or redisplacement (p=0.87). Those undergoing general anaesthesia used on average 50 minutes of theatre time and one third required an overnight admission. We conclude that ketamine sedation achieves comparable treatment outcomes to general anaesthesia whilst using fewer resources.