Eficacia y seguridad de la combinación ketamina-dexmedetomidina en protocolos de sedación y anestesia

The combination of ketamine and dexmedetomidine, known as Ketodex, has attracted growing interest in sedation because of its favourable clinical profile. The study therefore aimed to analyse the effectiveness and safety of the ketamine-dexmedetomidine combination in sedation and anaesthesia protocols, highlighting its main clinical advantages and applications. A PRISMA-guided descriptive systematic review was conducted in PubMed and Web of Science, with a sample of 15 studies published between 2021 and 2025 in paediatric and adult populations. Ketodex provided deep sedation with analgesia, preserved spontaneous ventilation and offered haemodynamic stability compared with propofol and ketofol, with transient bradycardia and somewhat slower recovery as the main limitations. It was concluded that it is a safe alternative, although dose variability requires standardised protocols.