Clinical Experience With Remimazolam in Neuroanesthesiology and Neurocritical Care: An Educational Focused Review

Abstract

Remimazolam is an ultrashort-acting benzodiazepine, approved for clinical use by the United States Food & Drug Administration in 2020. Similar to other benzodiazepines, its clinical effects of sedation, anxiolysis, and amnesia are mediated through the gamma-aminobutyric acid A (GABA_A) receptor. A unique metabolic pathway via tissue esterases results in a rapid elimination, a limited context-sensitive half-life, and prompt dissipation of its effect when administration is discontinued. Preliminary clinical experience has demonstrated its efficacy in the adult and pediatric population as a primary agent for procedural sedation or as an adjunct to general anesthesia. Given its rapid onset and recovery, preliminary clinical experience has demonstrated its potential utility in neuroanesthesia including procedural sedation for neuroimaging as well as a primary agent and adjunct for general anesthesia during neurosurgical procedures including awake craniotomy. This narrative review outlines the pharmacological properties of this unique medication, reviews previous published reports of its role in neuroanesthesia and neurocritical care, and discusses dosing parameters and clinical use in this population.