When used as an anaesthetic, the dose administered is about four-times as high as that used for our treatments and is given as a bolus over only a few minutes. Because patients still retain the ability to protect their own airway, breathe normally and usually experience no significant cardiovascular effects, our infusions are considered extremely safe compared with other anaesthetic agents. The dose you will receive at KCSA is far less and given as a controlled infusion over 40-minutes for depression and 4-hours for chronic pain conditions.

Even though these infusions have an established safety profile, we still exercise every caution at KCSA Clinics and your infusion will be administered by doctors and nurses with appropriate training and with immediate access to emergency drugs and equipment.

Before your infusion a medical history will be taken and your weight will be recorded. A standard pre-anaesthetic assessment will be conducted by the doctor.

A small cannula will be placed in a vein on the back of your hand or forearm by a nurse or doctor and your infusion will always be started by a doctor. The weight-based preparation of the infusion will be checked by both a doctor and a nurse. We require our doctors to have experience administering anaesthesia drugs and training in airway management. Our nurses are required to have life-support skills, and experience in Intensive Care Units or Emergency Departments and are therefore familiar with the monitors used to check on you throughout the infusion. A doctor will be immediately available throughout your infusion.