Efficacy and safety of esketamine for emergency endotracheal intubation in ICU patients: a double-blind, randomized controlled clinical trial.
Scientific reports February 19, 2025 Xue Zhang, Xin Zhao, Jiaxin Xu et al. 8 citations
For emergency intubation in critically ill adults, using esketamine for induction results in higher mean arterial pressure during and after the procedure compared to a midazolam/sufentanil admixture, with no significant difference in heart rate. Patients receiving esketamine required less norepinephrine, had a shorter duration of ventilation support (median 105 vs. 212 hours), and a shorter ICU stay (median 7 vs. 15 days). 28-day mortality did not differ between groups, and no serious adverse events occurred. Esketamine appears to be a hemodynamically stable induction agent for this population.