UK first ketamine bladder clinic treats children from age 13

Children as young as 13 are being treated at the United Kingdom's first specialist clinic for a severe bladder condition caused by ketamine use, with more than 100 referrals received since the service opened at Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust in Liverpool in May 2025. Analysis of the clinic's first 60 patients, published in Archives of Disease in Childhood by researchers at Alder Hey and Lancaster University, found an average age of 14, ranging from 13 to 15. Around two thirds of patients were girls, and roughly the same proportion lived in the most deprived areas. In some cases, ketamine use had begun at age 13, with patients typically using the drug for one to two years before referral. Ketamine-induced uropathy, commonly known as ketamine bladder, occurs when the drug damages the lining of the bladder, urinary tubes and kidneys. Symptoms include painful or frequent urination, urgency, incontinence and blood in the urine. Prolonged use can cause ulceration and fibrosis of the bladder wall, and the effects can be irreversible. In the most severe cases, patients may require major surgery or dialysis.