Anaesthetic drugs & techniques
Patterns of remimazolam use and recovery after procedural sedation and anaesthesia: a multicentre cohort study
Authors' conclusion
In this large multicentre cohort, remimazolam was associated with rapid recovery and low rates of serious adverse events across diverse procedural settings and patient acuity levels.
Study context
- Population
- Patients receiving remimazolam for procedural sedation and anaesthesia in a multisite US academic health system, 1 June 2021 to 29 February 2024
- Participants
- 8,011 patients · 9,431 procedures
- Outcome
- Patterns of remimazolam use, incl. recovery characteristics (time to return to baseline RASS score and PACU discharge readiness times)
Methodological detailsmulticentre
- Multicentre
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Remimazolam use and recovery
| Group | Value | Median time to baseline RASS | Median PACU discharge readiness time | Procedures outside the operating room |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Remimazolam | median 12 (IQR 8–20) mg | 13 min (IQR 5-30) | 30 min (IQR 15-55) | 70.5% |
Remimazolam
Valuemedian 12 (IQR 8–20) mg
Median time to baseline RASS13 min (IQR 5-30)
Median PACU discharge readiness time30 min (IQR 15-55)
Procedures outside the operating room70.5%
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Secondary outcomes
| Outcome | Adjusted GMR (95% CI) | P value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flumazenil use vs none in cardioversion cases: PACU discharge readiness time (subgroup) | 0.83 (0.75–0.93) | P < 0.001 | |
| Flumazenil use vs none in cardioversion cases: time to baseline RASS (subgroup) | 0.63 (0.48–0.83) | P < 0.001 | |
| 0.512Adjusted geometric mean ratio (log scale) |
Remimazolam dose and recovery times
- Higher dose associated with longer recovery times, plateau above ≈18 mg
- P < 0.001
Safety
Critical events (allergic reactions, cardiorespiratory depression, or death)
- Critical events, % of procedures
- 0.7%
- Possible IgE-mediated reactions
- 4 (0.04%)
Original publication
Patterns of remimazolam use and recovery after procedural sedation and anaesthesia: a multicentre cohort study. BJA Open. Published 2 July 2026. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →