RSI Study

Hennepin Healthcare is conducting a study called the “Randomized Trial of Sedative Choice for Intubation” (RSI) to learn whether, for seriously ill patients who need a breathing machine, ketamine or etomidate is a better sedative medication with regard to blood pressure, oxygen levels, and heart function.

For patients being placed on a breathing machine in the VUMC emergency department or intensive care unit:

• When the doctors feel ketamine would be best, the doctors give the patient ketamine
• When the doctors feel that etomidate would be best, the doctors give the patient etomidate
• When the do not have a preference, the patient participates in the RSI study and is assigned either ketamine or etomidate randomly. This means every patient has a fair and equal chance of getting either drug.

Both drugs are commonly used to place patients on a breathing machine. Both are approved by the FDA.

To learn more about the study, visit the study website at www.pragmaticcriticalcare.org/RSI.