Which of the follow ing drugs produces dissociative anesthesia -

Ans. is 'a' i.e., Ketamine o Ketamine produces dissociative anaesthesia.o Dissociative anaesthesia is characterized by profound analgesia, amnesia with light sleep and feeling of dissociation from once own body and the surroundings - Cataleptic state.o The primary site of action is in the thalamocortical projection system, not the reticular activating system (the site of action of barbiturates). It acts on NMDA receptors.o Short duration of action (10-25) is due to redistribution from brain and blood to other tissues of the body.o Ketamine is different from most other anaesthetic induction agents in that it has significant analgesic action can be used for analgesia.