Ketamine is a powerful general anaesthetic drug which can be used for operations on humans and animals. Effects of abusing ketamine include hallucinations, confusion, agitation, panic attacks, increased blood pressure, memory impairment, reduced sensations in the body and can even make users physically incapable of moving. Ketamine has a very short half-life allowing rapid clearance from the body. It is metabolised by N-demethylation, to yield the active metabolite norketamine, which is then followed by a hydroxylation process yielding hydroxyl-norketamine (HNK). HNK can then undergo glucuronidation conjugation. It is thought that the norketamine can undergo dehydrogenation to yield dehyrdronorketamine.
Cross Reactivity
Analyte |
Compound |
Cross Reactivity %
|
Ketamine
LOD: 0.69 ng/mL
|
Norketamine |
100 |
Dehydronorketamine
|
4.47
|
Ketamine
|
2.89
|