Ketamine, Etomidate, and Mortality in Emergency Department Intubations.

ABSTRACT:

Importance

The choice of induction agent during rapid sequence intubation (RSI) of critically ill adults may affect clinical outcomes. Although ketamine and etomidate are frequently used for RSI, their comparative effectiveness remains controversial.

Objective

To compare the safety of etomidate vs ketamine for emergency RSI in critically ill adults.

Design, setting, and participants

This cohort study used a target trial emulation with observational data collected between March 1, 2022, and April 30, 2024, from 18 emergency departments across Brazil, with data from the Brazilian Airway Registry Cooperation. Adults who underwent RSI and received either etomidate or ketamine as a sole hypnotic agent were included; those with preintubation cardiac arrest or immediate post

SUBMITTER: Maia IWA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12706683 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature