Procedural sedative effect of remimazolam in ICU patients on invasive mechanical ventilation: a randomised, prospective study

Annals of Intensive Care volume 15, Article number: 8 (2025)

Published: 14 January 2025

Background

Invasive procedures and environmental factors in the intensive care unit (ICU) may cause anxiety and discomfort in patients, who often require sedation therapy. The aim of this study was to assess the safety of remimazolam tosilate for procedural sedation in ICU patients receiving mechanical ventilation following endotracheal intubation. Eighty patients from a single centre were randomly assigned to either the propofol group or the remimazolam group. Blood tests were conducted to evaluate changes in lactate, blood lipids, liver and kidney function, and inflammatory markers, and patients’ vital signs were observed over several periods. This study compared the incidence of delirium, the impact on liver and kidney function, circulatory effects, and changes in blood lipids between the two groups. These findings have optimised the selection of medications, providing ICU patients with more options for sedation therapy.

Methods

In this single-centre randomised controlled trial, intubated patients were randomly assigned to the remimazolam group or the propofol group. Under the same analgesic regimen, the two groups received remimazolam and propofol for procedural sedation.

Results

Our primary outcome was the mean arterial pressure (MAP), which significantly differed on Days 4 and 7 (P = 0.021, control group vs. experimental group = 85.23 ± 11.24 vs. 94.36 ± 13.18, P = 0.023, 83.55 ± 8.94 vs. 92.66 ± 7.02). With respect to liver and kidney function, the ∆AST value in the remimazolam group was significantly lower than that in the control group on Day 7 (P = 0.023). There were significant differences in triglyceride (TG) levels on Days 4 and 7 (P = 0.020) and in the ∆LDL on Day 7 (P = 0.027). Furthermore, the rates of dyslipidaemia and delirium in the remimazolam group were lower than those in the propofol group (85.0%, n = 40 vs. 90.0%, n = 40; 27.5%, n = 40 vs. 55%, n = 40).

Conclusion

Remimazolam is a novel benzodiazepine that has demonstrated promising applications in general anaesthesia and procedural sedation; however, its use in ICU sedation is still in the early stages of research. Current evidence suggests that remimazolam is a safe sedative that is particularly well suited for patients with haemodynamic instability. Large sample-size randomised clinical trials are warranted.