Ketamine and military anaesthesia. The effect of heavy papaveretum premedication and Althesin induction on the incidence of emergence phenomena.

An anaesthetic technique suitable for military field anaesthesia was sought which would attenuate the psychic side effects of ketamine. Heavy premedication with 30 mg of papaveretum and induction of anaesthesia with Althesin were evaluated. A combination of the two lowered the incidence of side effects, but they still occurred frequently enough to pose problems. Ketamine sequelae are considered incompatible with the battlefield environment.