Advantages of etomidate use as an anesthetic agent

Etomidate is a useful addition to the list of available anesthetic agents. When faced with an animal with cardiovascular instability, cirrhosis, an intracranial lesion, susceptibility to malignant hyperthermia, anaphylactoid tendencies, or one that requires cesarean section, one should consider using etomidate. In addition, it provides a safe method for total intravenous anesthesia in situations in which the nature of the surgery precludes the use of an endotracheal tube, when the use of an inhalant is undesirable for any reason, or when inhalant anesthetic equipment is unavailable.