Does etomidate cause haemolysis?
Author(s): Nebauer AE, Doenicke A, Hoernecke R, Angster R, Mayer M Affiliation(s): Institut fur Anaesthesiologie, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat Munchen, Germany. Publication date & source: 1992-07, Br J Anaesth., 69(1):58-60. Publication type: Clinical Trial; Randomized Controlled Trial Etomidate is currently presented as a solution with propylene glycol as solvent. This organic solvent has an extremely high osmolality and is probably responsible for some of the side effects of this drug. In order to detect haemolysis, an indication for cell damage, we have measured serum haptoglobin concentrations in 12 healthy male volunteers after administration of etomidate 0.3 mg kg-1. Six subjects received etomidate in propylene glycol (EtoPG) with an osmolality of 4965 mosmol kg-1 and six received etomidate in lipid emulsion (EtoLip, 400 mosmol kg-1). Haptoglobin concentrations in the EtoPG group decreased by 44% and 43% from baseline values at 2 and 4 h after administration, respectively, and
