Provider Information
How to refer a patient
If your patient is a candidate for Ketamine infusion therapy and you would like to refer them to us, please complete the short referral form.
Please email or fax the referral form to our office along with your patients most recent H&P
Ketamine Treatment of Mood Disoders
Ketamine Infusions are currently the only rapid acting treatment for depression available. Some patients report a significant decrease in depression symptoms in as little as 1-2 hours post infusion. Ketamine has shown to be effective in up to 70-80% of patients and it is even effective in the most severe cases of treatment resistant depression.
Ketamine interacts with NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) receptors and neurotransmitters, specifically glutamate, in the brain to cause robust anti-depressant effects, even in patients with severe Treatment Resistant Depression (TRD). Ketamine functions as a receptor antagonist on the NMDA receptor. This receptor is involved in synaptic plasticity and memory functions along with others. By producing a ketamine-induced blockade of the NMDA receptor, glutamate levels are increased. The increase in glutamate concentration initiates a neurobiological events researchers believe is responsible for the robust antidepressant effects.
It’s important to note this interaction is exclusive to IV Ketamine Infusion Therapy where ketamine is intravenously infused slowly over 45 minutes at sub anesthetic doses.
The Ketamine Infusion Process
Intravenous Ketamine infusion is the only route of administration that has significant scientific research proving its effectiveness. IV Ketamine has a highly predictable onset and also provides the ability to discontinue treatment immediately for rare adverse side effects. A single infusion can be effective, however results are often short lived. Therefore a series of infusions is recommended. For most patients, a full course of therapy consists of a series of six infusions completed over 2-3 weeks with each treatment session lasting approximately 45 minutes.
When your patient undergoes Ketamine therapy they are closely monitored by our highly trained Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA)/ Advanced Practice Registered Nurse. Hospital-grade equipment is used to monitor the patients' pulse, oxygen saturation, blood pressure, and electrocardiogram. Patients' are kept in safe, private, and comfortable environment. At times some patients experience dizziness, nausea, and fatigue, but these sensations usually disappear rapidly upon completion of each infusion.
Ketamine has ben administered at much higher doses for 50 years for anesthesia and analgesia for surgical procedures and as of now approximately 15 years of research on the use of Ketamine for mood disorders. There have been no long-term side effects discovered when used in low doses for short a duration.
Contact Us
Imperial Medicine Ketamine and Wellness Infusion Therapy
8320 W. Sunrise Blvd. Suite 211
Plantation, FL 33322
(954) 533-0978