The efficacy of oral ketamine in severely depressed patients at high risk of suicide

•We recruited severely depressed, suicidal patients.•We treated them with orally-administered racemic ketamine.•Three ketamine sessions were conducted on alternate days across 5 days.•There was clinically-meaningful reduction in both depression and suicidality.•Orally-administered racemic ketamine may be life-saving in depressed suicidal patients.