• Alisha Greer, Mark Hewitt, Parsa T Khazaneh, Begum Ergan, Lisa Burry, Matthew W Semler, Bram Rochwerg, and Sameer Sharif.
• Department of Medicine, Division of Emergency Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
• Crit. Care Med. 2024 Nov 21.

ObjectivesTo compare the safety and efficacy of ketamine and etomidate as induction agents to facilitate emergent endotracheal intubation.Data SourcesWe searched MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Clinical Trials Register, and ClinicalTrials.gov from inception to April 3, 2024.Study SelectionWe included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared ketamine to etomidate to facilitate emergent endotracheal intubation in adults.Data ExtractionReviewers screened abstracts, full texts, and extracted data independently and in duplicate. We pooled data using a random-effects model, assessed risk of bias using the modified Cochrane tool and certainty of evidence using the Grading Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation approach. We pre-registered the protocol on PROSPERO (CRD42023472450).Data SynthesisWe included seven RCTs (n = 2384 patients). Based on pooled analysis, compared with etomidate, ketamine probably increases hemodynamic instability in the peri-intubation period (relative risk [RR], 1.29; 95% CI, 1.07-1.57; moderate certainty) but probably decreases the need for initiation of continuous infusion vasopressors (RR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.57-1.00; moderate certainty) and results in less adrenal suppression (RR, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.45-0.66; moderate certainty). Ketamine probably has no effect on successful intubation on the first attempt (RR, 1.01; 95% CI, 0.97-1.05; moderate certainty) or organ dysfunction measured as the maximum Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score during the first 3 days in ICU (mean difference, 0.55 SOFA points lower; 95% CI, 1.12 lower to 0.03 higher; moderate certainty) and may have no effect on mortality (RR, 1.00; 95% CI, 0.83-1.21; low certainty) when compared with etomidate.ConclusionsCompared with etomidate, ketamine probably results in more hemodynamic instability during the peri-intubation period and appears to have no effect on successful intubation on the first attempt or mortality. However, ketamine results in decreased need for the initiation of vasopressor use and decreases adrenal suppression compared with etomidate.Copyright © 2024 by the Society of Critical Care Medicine and Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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