I just came across some papers about etomidate for sedation - causing no haemodynamic problems, but I hardly find any paper or recommendation for or against using etomidate in neonates.

What I learned so far:

- No haemodynamic suppression

- Not analgetic

- very often onset of myocloni

- High tone of pharyngeal muscels - so relaxation needed

- Adrenal suppression -  in a relevant duration? That one could be a relevant argument against using it in neonates.

- 0,3 mg/kg/Dose

- Don't know anything about neuroapoptosis.

 

Any experiences?

 

Thank you!

best wishes,

Bernhard

Since there is some evidence that etomidate causes adrenocortical dysfunction with increased mortality in septic patients, we have stopped using it for a long time.
 

However, we only used it in older children, not in neonates.