Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40846975›Full record

ArticlePerioperative medicine (London, England)2025

Ketamine and melatonin for the prevention of postoperative delirium in patients with colorectal cancer: a feasibility study.

Kousha Farhadi, Mojgan Rahimi, Hesam Varpaei, Erta Rajabi, Seyyed Mohammad Mahdi Tayebi Tafreshi, Parsa Mohammadi, Mostafa Mohammadi

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Perioperative medicine (London, England), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Review
  3. Review
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Kousha FarhadiAnesthesia, Critical Care, and Pain Management Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. koushafarhadi@gmail.com.
Mojgan RahimiDepartment of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, Imam Khomeini Hospital Complex, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Hesam VarpaeiCollege of Nursing, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.
Erta RajabiFaculty of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Seyyed Mohammad Mahdi Tayebi TafreshiFaculty of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Parsa MohammadiFaculty of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Mostafa MohammadiDepartment of Critical Care, Imam Khomeini Hospital Complex, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Mohammady_mm@tums.ac.ir.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeThis study aimed to examine the feasibility and effects of preoperative 5 mg of melatonin and intraoperative 50 mg of ketamine on postoperative delirium (POD) prevention in candidates for colorectal cancer surgery.

methodsIn this randomized controlled trial, adults (> 18 years) who were candidates for elective colorectal cancer surgery were included in the study. Patients were randomized into four groups: placebo/saline (PS), melatonin/saline (MS), placebo/ketamine (PK), and melatonin/ketamine (MK). The groups received either 5 mg of oral melatonin or a placebo the night before surgery and 50 mg of ketamine or normal saline after anesthesia induction. The occurrence and severity of POD and pain severity were assessed via the confusion assessment method for the intensive care unit (CAM-ICU) and visual analogue scale (VAS), respectively (twice daily), until postoperative day 4.

resultsOne-hundred and four patients (51% male, mean age: 56.29 ± 12.65) with a rate of 4.7 patients per week were recruited, with an attrition rate of 13.3%. The prevalence of POD was 17.3%, 22.23%, 16.67%, and 16.67% in the PS group, the MS group, the MK group, and the PK group, respectively. Compared with the control, none of the interventions significantly reduced the likelihood of POD occurrence.

conclusionThis randomized controlled trial demonstrated the feasibility of recruiting and retaining surgical patients for a multi-arm perioperative intervention study. Although the interventions did not significantly reduce the incidence of POD, the study design and procedures were feasible, with acceptable recruitment and attrition rates. Compared to placebo, none of the interventions significantly reduced the incidence of POD; however, time was a significant factor, with POD incidence, severity, and pain decreasing longitudinally. TRIAL REGSITRATION: IR.TUMS.IKHC.REC.1401.374, registration date: 14 February 2023 and IRCT code: IRCT20120527009886N2, registration date: 07/03/2023.

Indexed as

AnesthesiaColorectal neoplasmsDeliriumKetamineMelatonin

Identifiers

PMID40846975
PMCPMC12372360

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.