Colorado House Bill 1251 expressly bans paramedics from administering Ketamine for patients experiencing excited delirium (EXD), a syndrome which is characterized by extreme agitation, superhuman strength, hyperthermia, hyperkalemia, and sudden death. While supporters of this bill point to instances of police using EXD as an excuse for brutality and several tragic cases where patients have died following ketamine administration, paramedics fear the inability to use a fast acting sedative for patients who are endangering their own lives along with the safety of those around them.
Research articles referenced:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5061757/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3088378/
https://journals.lww.com/em-news/fulltext/2015/12000/infocus__ketamine_an_ideal_treatment_for_excited.18.aspx
https://www.ems1.com/medical-clinical/articles/ketamine-for-excited-delirium-syndrome-results-of-a-3-year-case-series-KsBSJZSXEZuthAEA/
https://accpjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/phar.2060