Abstract:Objective To assess the efficacy and safety of varying doses of esketamine combined with ultrasound-guided transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block in emergency cesarean delivery.Methods A total of 116 parturients undergoing emergency cesarean section between February 2024 and February 2026 were randomly allocated into a control group (n = 58), receiving esketamine 0.50 mg/kg plus TAP block, and an observation group (n = 58), receiving esketamine 0.75 mg/kg plus TAP block. Anesthetic onset, time to achieve peak sensory block, postoperative pain scores, stress-related biomarkers, recovery indices, neonatal outcomes, and adverse events were evaluated and compared.Results The anesthesia onset time and time to achieve the highest sensory block level were shorter in the observation group than in the control group (P < 0.05). Resting VAS scores at 6, 24, and 48 hours postoperatively were compared using repeated-measures analysis of variance. The results showed: (1) significant differences in VAS scores across different time points (P < 0.05); (2) a significant difference between the two groups (P < 0.05), with the observation group exhibiting significantly lower VAS scores than the control group, indicating superior analgesic efficacy; and (3) a significant interaction effect between time and group (P < 0.05), suggesting that the changes in VAS scores over time differed between the two groups. The changes in norepinephrine (NE), cortisol (Cor), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were smaller in the observation group than in the control group (P < 0.05). The time to first postoperative flatus, time to ambulation, and length of hospital stay were shorter in the observation group (P < 0.05). No significant differences were found in the change of Apgar scores from 1 min to 5 min between the two groups (P > 0.05). There was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse events between the two groups (P > 0.05).Conclusion Esketamine at doses of 0.50 mg/kg and 0.75 mg/kg combined with TAP block is applicable for emergency cesarean section. The 0.75 mg/kg regimen provides better analgesia and blunts the surgical stress response without increasing the incidence of adverse events, supporting its safety and efficacy.