State health department guidelines note that the use of ketamine for excited delirium "is an emerging treatment" and that "across the country, many physicians question the existence of an excited delirium syndrome." While it can be controversial to diagnose someone with excited delirium, because many medical professional associations do not recognize it, Dr. Deborah Mash, a professor of neurology at the University of Miami, told NPR that the phenomenon is "definitely real." "And while we don't know precisely what causes this, we do know it is the result of a neural chemical imbalance in the brain," she said. Excited delirium has been mentioned in connection with dozens of cases of excessive force and police-involved deaths, including cases in which police eventually used stun guns to shock people into submission, according to Amnesty International. One of the four Minneapolis officers charged in the death of Floyd had said, "I am worried about excited delirium or whatever," according to the charging document.
Erik Ortiz, ‘Elijah McClain was injected with ketamine while handcuffed. Some medical experts worry about its use during police calls.’, NBC
