Which describes etomidate's cardiovascular effect?

Which describes etomidate's cardiovascular effect?

• A. Increased SVR with unstable hemodynamics
• B. Hemodynamic instability
• C. Hemodynamic stability with decreased SVR
• D. Blocks SNS response to laryngoscopy

Answer: (C)

Etomidate is prized for preserving cardiovascular function during induction. It tends to keep heart rate, stroke volume, and overall cardiac output relatively stable, so blood pressure doesn’t swing widely. At most, there is a small drop in systemic vascular resistance from mild vasodilation, but this is generally offset by the preserved cardiac output, keeping hemodynamics stable. This makes it especially useful in patients with limited cardiac reserve or those who are hypovolemic or at risk of hypotension. It does not typically blunt the sympathetic response to laryngoscopy, and it lacks analgesia, so it isn’t known for blocking the SNS reflexes to airway stimulation. So the description of hemodynamic stability with decreased SVR best captures etomidate’s cardiovascular profile.

Etomidate is prized for preserving cardiovascular function during induction. It tends to keep heart rate, stroke volume, and overall cardiac output relatively stable, so blood pressure doesn’t swing widely. At most, there is a small drop in systemic vascular resistance from mild vasodilation, but this is generally offset by the preserved cardiac output, keeping hemodynamics stable. This makes it especially useful in patients with limited cardiac reserve or those who are hypovolemic or at risk of hypotension. It does not typically blunt the sympathetic response to laryngoscopy, and it lacks analgesia, so it isn’t known for blocking the SNS reflexes to airway stimulation. So the description of hemodynamic stability with decreased SVR best captures etomidate’s cardiovascular profile.