Ketamine is classified as which type of anesthetic?

Ketamine is classified as a dissociative anesthetic, a unique category that produces a state of anesthesia characterized by a trance-like condition, providing pain relief, sedation, and memory loss. Unlike general anesthetics that induce unconsciousness by affecting the whole brain and body, dissociative anesthetics like ketamine work by disrupting the connections in the brain that facilitate perception and sensory processing. This can lead to a detachment from the environment and self, thus the term "dissociative."

When administered, ketamine often leads to a particular experience where patients may feel disconnected from their bodies, which is ideal for certain surgical procedures, especially in patients who may need rapid onset anesthesia with analgesic properties. Additionally, its unique mechanism allows it to maintain airway reflexes and cardiovascular stability, making it a preferred choice in some emergency and pediatric settings.

In contrast, general anesthetics induce full unconsciousness, local anesthetics block sensation in a specific area without affecting consciousness, and regional anesthetics involve blocking sensation in a larger part of the body (like a limb) while keeping the patient awake. Each type serves its specific purposes within practice, but ketamine distinctly falls within the category of dissociative anesthetics.