Patricia Jabre, Xavier Combes, Frederic Lapostolle, Mohamed Dhaouadi, Agnes Ricard-Hibon, Benoit Vivien, Lionel Bertrand, Alexandra Beltramini, Pascale Gamand, Stephane Albizzati, Deborah Perdrizet, Gaelle Lebail, Charlotte Chollet-Xemard, Virginie Maxime, Christian Brun-Buisson, Jean-Yves Lefrant, Pierre-Edouard Bollaert, Bruno Megarbane, Jean-Damien Ricard, Nadia Anguel, Eric Vicaut, Frederic Adnet
BACKGROUND: Critically ill patients often require emergency intubation. The use of etomidate as the sedative agent in this context has been challenged because it might cause a reversible adrenal insufficiency, potentially associated with increased in-hospital morbidity. We compared early and 28-day morbidity after a single dose of etomidate or ketamine used for emergency endotracheal intubation of critically ill patients. METHODS: In this randomised, controlled, single-blind trial, 655 patients who needed sedation for emergency intubation were prospectively enrolled from 12 emergency medical services or emergency departments and 65 intensive care units in France...
July 25, 2009: Lancet