Accidental Intrathecal Injection of Etomidate During Spinal Anesthesia: A Case Report

Etomidate is an ultra-short-acting anesthetic agent derived from imidazole that can only be administered intravenously. Etomidate has excellent hemodynamic properties in inducing anesthesia, making it an ideal choice for patients with shock, hypovolemia, or significant cardiovascular disease, with minimal reduction in blood pressure. We report a case of a female patient who was given accidental etomidate intrathecally instead of ropivacaine because of its similar appearance, which led to a slight decrease in blood pressure and no change in the pulse rate. The patient had stable vital signs and no neurological complications.