What is the onset of etomidate after IV administration?

What is the onset of etomidate after IV administration?

• A. 30-60 seconds
• B. 5-10 seconds
• C. 2-3 minutes
• D. 10-20 minutes

Answer: (A)

Etomidate acts quickly after IV bolus because it is highly lipophilic and rapidly penetrates the brain, so loss of consciousness occurs within seconds to about a minute. In practice, the onset is typically around 30–60 seconds, making this window the best fit for induction. The other timeframes don’t align with how fast etomidate reaches the brain after an injection: 5–10 seconds is unrealistically fast for cerebral equilibration, 2–3 minutes would be too slow for induction, and 10–20 minutes is far too long for an IV anesthetic induction agent.

Etomidate acts quickly after IV bolus because it is highly lipophilic and rapidly penetrates the brain, so loss of consciousness occurs within seconds to about a minute. In practice, the onset is typically around 30–60 seconds, making this window the best fit for induction. The other timeframes don’t align with how fast etomidate reaches the brain after an injection: 5–10 seconds is unrealistically fast for cerebral equilibration, 2–3 minutes would be too slow for induction, and 10–20 minutes is far too long for an IV anesthetic induction agent.