第2298期: What Is Ketamine?

An investigation into the death of American actor Matthew Perry has led to criminal charges against five people. Perry, a star of the popular television series Friends, died suddenly in October. He was 54. Doctors who examined his body after death said Perry died from an overdose of the powerful drug ketamine.对美国演员马修·派瑞死亡的调查导致了五人面临刑事指控。派瑞是热门电视连续剧《老友记》的明星，他在十月突然去世，享年54岁。验尸后的医生表示，派瑞是因服用过量强效药物氯胺酮而死亡。Ketamine is a powerful anesthetic. The drug is often used to put people into a deep sleep for medical operations, also called surgery. The treatment is called general anesthesia. A doctor can inject the drug into a muscle or through a liquid flow directly into a patient’s veins.氯胺酮是一种强效的麻醉剂。这种药物通常用于让人在医疗手术（也称为外科手术）中进入深度睡眠。该治疗方法称为全身麻醉。医生可以将药物注射到肌肉中，或通过液体直接注入患者的静脉。The drug’s chemistry is similar to the recreational drug called PCP. Some people use ketamine recreationally for its euphoric effects. It can cause hallucinations and can affect breathing and the heart.这种药物的化学成分与一种叫做PCP的娱乐性药物相似。有些人为了追求快感而娱乐性地使用氯胺酮。它可能会引起幻觉，并可能影响呼吸和心脏。The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved ketamine for use only for general anesthesia. However, American doctors are free to prescribe drugs for treatments other than those approved by the FDA. This is known as off-label use.美国食品和药物管理局（FDA）只批准氯胺酮用于全身麻醉。然而，美国医生可以自由开具其他非FDA批准用途的药物，这被称为超适应症用药。Ketamine use has seen a huge, fast rise in recent years as a treatment for pain and mental health disorders, including depression and anxiety.近年来，氯胺酮的使用迅速增加，作为疼痛和精神健康障碍的治疗方法，包括抑郁症和焦虑症。Perry was using it to treat depression. His usual doctors were treating him with what is called ketamine infusion therapy. However, investigators say the actor turned to other sources when his doctors refused to give him as much as he wanted.派瑞用它来治疗抑郁症。他的常规医生通过所谓的氯胺酮输液疗法为他治疗。然而，调查人员表示，当医生拒绝给他所需的剂量时，派瑞转向了其他来源。Last week, government lawyers said Perry got ketamine illegally through a group that included two doctors, Perry’s assistant and a woman they identified as the “Ketamine Queen.” Perry’s assistant injected the actor with ketamine — including several times on the day Perry died.上周，政府律师表示，派瑞通过一个包括两名医生、派瑞的助理和一个被称为“氯胺酮女王”的女人在内的团体非法获得了氯胺酮。派瑞的助理给他注射了氯胺酮——包括在派瑞去世当天多次注射。Emergency medical workers also sometimes use ketamine to sedate people who appear to be out of control, aggressive or a threat to themselves or others. Some states and agencies around the country have begun to reconsider this use of ketamine because of the drug’s health risks.急救医务人员有时也会使用氯胺酮来镇静那些看起来失控、具有攻击性或对自己或他人构成威胁的人。由于这种药物的健康风险，美国的一些州和机构开始重新考虑这种用法。In 2019, an American court found two emergency medical workers guilty in the overdose killing of a teenager in Colorado. The medical team injected the man with a deadly amount of ketamine during a police operation.2019年，美国法院裁定两名急救医务人员在科罗拉多州一名青少年药物过量死亡事件中有罪。该医疗团队在一次警察行动中向该男子注射了致命剂量的氯胺酮。An Associated Press investigation found that, generally, use of ketamine and similar drugs as a policing or security tool has spread quietly across the nation over the last 15 years.美联社的调查发现，氯胺酮和类似药物作为警务或安全工具的使用在过去15年中悄然蔓延全国。