Table 2

Emergency department (ED) studies

First author	Design	Setting	Number	Induction agent	Pre-treatment?	NMBA	Outcome measures	Level of evidence
ED, emergency department; DB RCT, double blind randomised controlled trial; NMBA, neuromuscular blocking agent; E, etomidate; M, midazolam; T, thiopentone; F, fentanyl; Sux, suxamethonium; Vec, vecuronium, Lido, lidocaine; defascic, defasciculating agent; Sats, oxygen saturation; BP, blood pressure; HR, heart rate. Level of evidence from SIGN.⁵⁴
Smith²⁸	Prospective observational	ED convenience sample	34	E 0.3 mg/kg	Vec 0.01 mg/kg	Sux 1.5–2.0 mg/kg	BP, HR, Sats, myoclonus, sedation	III
Swanson²⁹	Retrospective review	Aeromedical setting	53	E 0.2–0.4 mg/kg	Lidocaine (12)	Sux (42 patients)	BP	III
Swanson²⁹	Retrospective review	Aeromedical setting	53	E 0.2–0.4 mg/kg	Atropine (3)		HR
					Vec (3)
Sovoloke³⁰	Retrospective review	Urban ED, Patients <10 years	100	E 0.37+/–0.15 mg/kg	Lidocaine (58%)	99% paralytics	BP	III
Sovoloke³⁰	Retrospective review	Urban ED, Patients <10 years	100	E 0.37+/–0.15 mg/kg	Atropine (37%)	(54% Sux)	Need for corticosteroids
Schenarts³¹	RCT	ED	31	E 0.3 mg/kg	Lidocaine or defascic (doctor’s discretion)	Sux 1.0–1.5 mg/kg	Cosyntropin stimulation test	Ib
Schenarts³¹	RCT	ED	31	M 0.05–0.1 mg/kg	Lidocaine or defascic (doctor’s discretion)	Sux 1.0–1.5 mg/kg	Cosyntropin stimulation test
Sivilotti³²	DB RCT	ED	86	T 5 mg/kg	D-tubocurare or Vec	Sux 1.5 mg/kg	7 day mortality	Ib
				F 5 mcg/kg			BP/HR, “rapid intubations”
				M 0.1 mg/kg			BP/HR, “rapid intubations”
Woodward³³	Retrospectve review	ED trauma patients	66	E 0.2–0.4 mg/kg	No comment	Sux 1–2 mg/kg (51), Vec 0.1–0.3 mg/kg (5)	BP/HR	III
Johnson³⁴	Prospective observational	ED	18	E 0.3 mg/kg	No comment	No comment	Sedation, BP/HR, “other effects”	III
Laurin³⁵	Retrospective review	ED	54	E 0.2–0.4 mg/kg	Nil	Sux 1–2 mg/kg	BP/HR	III
Laurin³⁵	Retrospective review	ED	54	E 0.2–0.4 mg/kg	Nil	Sux 1–2 mg/kg	Complications
Plewa³⁶	Prospective observational	ED trauma patients	20	E 0.3 mg/kg	Nil	Sux (2)	Attempts, BP/HR, other side effects	III
Plewa³⁶	Prospective observational	ED trauma patients	20	E 0.3 mg/kg	Nil	Vec (4)	Attempts, BP/HR, other side effects
Choi³⁷	Prospective observational	ED	121	E 10–20 mg (45)	Nil	No comment	BP	III
	Prospective observational			M 2–4 mg (76)