Among critically ill patients undergoing rapid sequence intubation (RSI) in hospitals, ketamine and etomidate show no significant difference in 30-day survival. The meta-analysis of 14 studies with 23,926 patients found that etomidate use was linked to a higher rate of adrenal insufficiency, while ketamine required more post-intubation vasopressor support. Intubation difficulty, cardiovascular collapse, and systemic steroid use did not differ between the two agents. The findings suggest both drugs are comparable for short-term survival, but each carries distinct side-effect profiles that may guide clinical choice.
A brief 15-minute pause during the workday, whether guided meditative relaxation or unguided rest, was associated with short-term improvements in blood pressure, heart rate, and psychological measures among hospital physicians. Guided meditative relaxation, a structured mind-body approach, led to higher satisfaction scores (8.11 out of 10) compared to unguided rest (6.47 out of 10), but most other outcomes did not differ significantly between groups. The findings are preliminary and need confirmation in larger studies with longer follow-up.