OpenClaim

Etomidate Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of etomidate include renal failure, pain, and injury, based on 2,270 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 6.6% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Etomidate side effects

Percentages show how often each reaction appears relative to total reports for etomidate.

1
Renal Failure8.7%198
2
Pain8.1%184
3
Injury7.7%175
4
Unevaluable Event7.4%167
5
Anxiety7.0%158
6
Drug Ineffective6.6%150
7
Fear6.5%147
8
Emotional Distress5.8%132
9
Renal Injury5.6%128
10
Renal Impairment5.1%116
11
Hypotension5.0%113
12
Stress4.9%112
13
Cardiac Arrest4.8%110
14
Anhedonia4.6%105
15
Death4.1%93

These are voluntary reports and do not establish that etomidate caused these reactions.

Report severity

91.5%Serious2,078 reports
40.8%Hospitalizations926 reports
21.7%Fatal493 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Etomidate drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside etomidate. Drugs flagged as a suspected cause appear in the first column. Drugs taken at the same time but not suspected appear in the second.

Also suspected

1
Propofol13.2%299
2
Fentanyl9.9%225
3
Aprotinin9.9%224
4
Midazolam9.3%211
5
Rocuronium-bromide8.6%196
6
Sufentanil-citrate7.4%169
7
Succinylcholine-chloride6.8%155
8
Remifentanil-hydrochloride5.9%134
9
Cisatracurium-besylate5.2%118
10
Sevoflurane4.8%108
11
Epinephrine3.5%80
12
Heparin3.5%80
13
Remdesivir3.5%79
14
Lidocaine3.1%71
15
Vecuronium-bromide3.0%68

Taken alongside

1
Fentanyl26.0%590
2
Midazolam25.3%574
3
Propofol18.9%430
4
Furosemide18.3%415
5
Heparin18.2%414
6
Rocuronium-bromide14.8%337
7
Epinephrine14.7%334
8
Acetaminophen13.9%316
9
Insulin13.8%313
10
Succinylcholine-chloride12.6%285
11
Lidocaine11.0%250
12
Vancomycin11.0%250
13
Potassium-chloride10.3%233
14
Aspirin10.0%228
15
Pantoprazole-sodium9.9%224

Co-occurrence in adverse event reports does not establish a drug interaction. Patients often take multiple medications, and these lists reflect prescribing patterns rather than causal relationships. Consult a healthcare provider about potential drug interactions.

Who reports etomidate side effects

37.5% of etomidate adverse event reports involve female patients and 49.1% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 61%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female37.5%
Male49.1%
Unknown13.3%

Age group

< 21.4%
2–111.1%
12–171.3%
18–6460.9%
65+35.3%

What is etomidate used for

Conditions and purposes for which patients were taking etomidate when the adverse event was reported.

Abdominal Pain UpperAccidental PoisoningAcute Respiratory FailureAirway Patency Device InsertionAllergy TestAltered State Of ConsciousnessAnaesthesiaAnaesthesia ProcedureAortic SurgeryArthroscopyAtrial FibrillationAcute Respiratory FailureAdrenocortical CarcinomaAlcohol PoisoningAnaesthesia

Showing 15 of 140 indications

Etomidate brand names and reporting trend

Etomidate is sold under the brand name Amidate.

Brand names

Amidate2,290

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

An upward trend reflects increased FAERS reporting overall, not necessarily increased risk.

Taking etomidate with another medication?

Ask OpenClaim about your specific drug combination. Get a sourced report using FDA data, drug labels, and medical literature.