The hydrochloride salt of a synthetic derivative of cyclohexanone with analgesic and anesthetic activities. Although its mechanism of action is not well understood, ketamine appears to non-competitively block N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors and may interact with opiod mu receptors and sigma receptors, thereby reducing pain perception, inducing sedation, and producing dissociative anesthesia. Check for "https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/clinical-trials/intervention/C29142" active clinical trials using this agent. ("http://ncit.nci.nih.gov/ncitbrowser/ConceptReport.jsp?dictionary=NCI%20Thesaurus&code=C29142" NCI Thesaurus)