A new review of clinical studies suggests that people receiving ketamine for mental health conditions do not face an elevated risk of severe bladder and urinary tract issues, at least in the short term. Researchers noted that while these symptoms are common among recreational users, medically supervised doses appear much safer. The findings were published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology. Ketamine was synthesized in the early 1960s as a safer alternative to older anesthetics. It offered a shorter duration of effects and a lower risk of delirium. For over fifty years, it has been a staple in operating rooms across the globe. Today, it remains heavily used by surgeons and trauma professionals to induce a loss of consciousness and relieve severe pain. In recent years, the medical community began exploring the drug for an entirely different purpose. Researchers discovered that providing patients with smaller, subanesthetic doses could rapidly alleviate severe psychiatric distress. It became a popular option for people with treatment-resistant depression, which is a diagnosis given when standard oral antidepressants fail to improve a …