Comparison of EEG Burst Suppression and Hemodynamic Effects Between Remimazolam Tosilate and Etomidate During General Anesthesia Induction: A Retrospective Analysis.

BACKGROUND

Remimazolam tosilate, a novel ultra-short-acting benzodiazepine, demonstrates promising safety profiles in clinical settings. While both remimazolam tosilate and etomidate provide hemodynamic stability during anesthesia induction, limited research has directly compared their effects on electroencephalogram (EEG) burst suppression (periods of transient brain wave silence), a potential predictor of adverse neurological outcomes. This study aims to compare the incidence rate of EEG burst suppression (ESR) with remimazolam tosilate versus etomidate by reviewing the drug regimens used by different anesthesiologists in clinical practice.

METHODS

This single-center retrospective study analyzed clinical anesthesia induction data from 161 patients from October 2023 to July 2024. Patients received either remimazolam tosilate (0.2 mg/kg, n=86, Group R) or etomidate (0.3 mg/kg, n=75, Group E) for general anesthesia induction. Primary outcomes included ESR and its duration during induction. Second outcomes comprised hemodynamic parameters: systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure mean arterial pressure, and heart rate, measured at baseline (T0), 3 minutes post-induction (T1), immediately after intubation (T2), 5 minutes post-intubation (T3), 10 minutes post-intubation (T4), and adverse events occurrence.

RESULTS

Baseline characteristics were comparable except ASA classification (higher ASA III proportion in Group R: 24.4% vs 2.7%, P<0.001). No ESR occurred in Group R versus 29.34% in Group E (P<0.01). Group R had a significantly lower incidence of intubation-related hypertension (10.5% vs 42.7%, P<0.001) and maintained stable blood pressure and HR throughout induction, whereas Group E exhibited marked MAP and HR fluctuations. Other adverse events showed no significant inter-group differences.

CONCLUSION

Remimazolam tosilate demonstrated notable differences compared to etomidate during general anesthesia induction, including the absence of ESR and different hemodynamic response patterns. While these findings suggest potential advantages for certain patient populations, the retrospective design and ASA classification imbalance limit definitive conclusions, warranting prospective validation studies.