KCSA Constantia relocates to our new clinic in Madison Place, Alphen Park

KCSA Constantia accepted its first patients at the new clinic on Friday 23rd September. Dr Mike Smit, Bea Hanslo and Sr Jenny Van Heerden look forward to accepting referrals from our psychiatrist colleagues in the region. The clinic is conveniently situated off the M41 (alongside the Norman Hershilwood High School), and is beautifully appointed. Patients can be collected after infusions directly from an elevator opening into undercover parking. Read KCSA's official statement on the relocation of its clinic.

Watch this space for information on our new Northern Suburbs clinic...

Take a quick tour of the new Constantia Clinic

FINALLY - quantification of ketamine and metabolites in human breast milk...

Ketamine infusion in breastfeeding mothers is safe and low exposure to the infant of ketamine or its metabolites in breastmilk will not lead to any significant clinical effects.

Read the research paper

Findings published in a recent article in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, provide evidence
supporting the safe resumption of breastfeeding for lactating mothers after ketamine infusion.

In a previous newsletter, we discussed the use of ketamine infusion for postpartum depression.

Having now determined that infants are exposed to much lover levels of ketamine and its metabolites in breastmilk than anticipated, the door is open to this therapy without the need to cease breastfeeding.

KetaMIND clinics currently offer outpatient ketamine infusions at the following locations:

BEDFORDVIEW (GP)

CAPE TOWN (WC)

UMHLANGA (KZN)

HILTON (KZN)

Contact a KCSA branch

Overactivation and stimulation of the NMDA-receptor is likely the reason for Opioid Induced Hyperalgesia (OIH). This proposed mechanism would explain why NMDA-receptor modulators such as ketamine are effective in treating the condition.

Learn more about OIH here.

Palliative and 'end-of-life' care ... what can ketamine offer?

Ketamine infusion can offer benefits in this patient cohort for neuropathic pain, depression and opioid induced hyperalgaesia (OIH)

A study published in the Annals of Palliative Medicine found that in a trial of 44-patients with uncontrolled pain despite opioids, outcome after ketamine infusion was considered 'optimal' or 'good' in 75% of participants.

We previously linked to a paper demonstrating the efficacy of ketamine for Cancer-related Neuropathic Pain (CNP) of various etiologies in 57-patients.

Read the APM article

In the next newsletter..

An appraisal of studies investigating ketamine's efficacy for suicidal ideation and behaviours

Ketamine has been shown to rapidly reverse suicidal ideation in a majority of patients. How biased have studies been in arriving at this conclusion?

In a deep dive analysis of 27-studies using the AMSTAR-2 tool to evaluate quality, two thirds of the studies were found to be of low quality. However the authors conclude that ketamine is safe and effective in the short term for this indication. In nine studies investigating esketamine for this indication, five demonstrated significant benefit.

How did KCSA start in South Africa?

KetaMIND Clinics of South Africa (KCSA) was founded by Dr Alan Howard, a Consultant in Emergency Medicine who returned home permanently to his native South Africa from Ireland in 2019.

To read more about Dr Howard and KCSA's flagship clinic in the Natal Midlands in two informative articles published in South African Psychiatry click on the link below.

Read about the start of KCSA

View past newsletters