Which statement best describes Ketamine assisted ventilation guidelines in the adult airway protocol?

• A. Ketamine should be used for any emergency without documentation.
• B. Ketamine Assisted Ventilation should be used only in the most critical cases with documentation of the reason for using Ketamine, and if transport time to an ED is less than 15 minutes, transport to the closest ED; these patients are Status 1 according to CORE.
• C. Ketamine is contraindicated in all airway patients.
• D. Ketamine can be used only with patient consent.

Answer: (B)

Ketamine Assisted Ventilation is intended for the most critical airway situations where rapid sedation or analgesia is essential and the benefit clearly outweighs risks. The guideline emphasizes documenting why Ketamine is chosen, ensuring there is a justified indication, rather than using it arbitrarily. If the patient can reach an emergency department in under 15 minutes, the plan is to transport to the closest ED to minimize delays in definitive care. In this framework, the patient is classified as Status 1 in CORE, signaling emergent priority and immediate transport.

This approach makes sense because Ketamine has properties that can be valuable in severe airway emergencies—it provides rapid sedation while often preserving spontaneous breathing and airway reflexes—but its use must be justified, documented, and aligned with sprinted transport decisions. The other statements do not fit because Ketamine is not to be used indiscriminately without justification, it is not universally contraindicated in airway patients, and emergency care decisions typically rely on urgent treatment needs rather than explicit patient consent alone.