Remimazolam for Sedation During Upper Gastrointestinal Endoscopy in an Adolescent

Remimazolam is a short-acting benzodiazepine that has recently received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for procedural sedation in adults. Similar to other benzodiazepines such as midazolam, remimazolam has sedative, anxiolytic, and amnestic properties. Rapid metabolism by plasma esterases results in a half-life of 5 - 10 min and a limited context sensitive half-life. Preliminary data from adult studies have demonstrated favorable hemodynamic stability, no pain on injection, and limited impact on ventilatory function. To date, its use as the primary agent for procedural sedation in pediatric-aged patients has been limited, as previous published reports of its use have detailed its administration as an adjunct to general anesthesia. We report anecdotal experience with the use of remimazolam for procedural sedation during an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy in a 15-year-old adolescent with multiple drug and food allergies. The role of remimazolam in procedural sedation is discussed, previous reports of its use in pediatric-aged patients are reviewed, and dosing algorithms are presented.