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Regional EMS experience with etomidate for facilitated intubation
David B Reed1, Gwendolyn Snyder, Troy D Hogue
1Department of Emergency Medicine, State University of New York, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse 13210, USA. reedd@upstate.edu
Prehospital Emergency Care
|January 16, 2002
Summary
Etomidate shows higher success rates for prehospital facilitated intubation compared to diazepam. This study in the Central New York emergency medical services (EMS) region found improved first-attempt success with etomidate.
Area of Science:
- Emergency Medicine
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Prehospital facilitated intubation is a critical procedure in emergency medical services (EMS).
- The choice of sedative agent impacts intubation success and patient safety.
- Etomidate has emerged as a potential agent for rapid sequence intubation (RSI).
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the preliminary experience of the Central New York EMS region with etomidate for prehospital facilitated intubation.
- To compare the success rates of etomidate versus diazepam for facilitated intubation.
Main Methods:
- Prospective data collection for etomidate-facilitated intubations over six months (January-June 2000).
- Retrospective analysis of diazepam-facilitated intubations from prehospital care reports (PCRs) over 18 months.
- Comparison of success rates and first-attempt success between the two agents.
Main Results:
- 343 (84%) of 409 total intubations were successful.
- Etomidate facilitated 24 intubations with 19 (79%) successful, 18 (95%) on the first attempt.
- Diazepam facilitated 43 intubations with 10 (23%) successful.
Conclusions:
- Preliminary data suggest etomidate increases facilitated intubation success rates compared to diazepam.
- Most etomidate-facilitated intubations were successful on the first attempt.
- Limitations include small sample size and paramedic self-reported data.