ketamine hydrochloride /kē″təmēn/ , a nonbarbiturate general anesthetic induction agent administered parenterally to achieve dissociative anesthesia. Ketamine hydrochloride does not cause muscle relaxation. It is a potent somatic analgesic and is particularly useful for brief, minor surgical procedures. Hallucinations, confusion, and disorientation may occur on emergence from anesthesia. See also dissociative anesthesia.
