Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39919984›Full record

ArticleBritish journal of anaesthesia2025

Seizure after flumazenil reversal for total intravenous anaesthesia with remimazolam versus propofol: a matched retrospective cohort analysis of a large Japanese nationwide inpatient database.

Shuichiro Komatsu, Toshiaki Isogai, Kanako Makito, Hiroki Matsui, Kiyohide Fushimi, Hideo Yasunaga

Abstract readComparative Study
In one paragraph

Article in British journal of anaesthesia, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. Review
  5. Review
  6. Safety of Remimazolam in Vulnerable Populations.Drug design, development and therapy · 2025
    Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Shuichiro KomatsuDepartment of Clinical Epidemiology and Health Economics, School of Public Health, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan. Electronic address: shuichiro.for.precious@gmail.com.
Toshiaki IsogaiDepartment of Clinical Epidemiology and Health Economics, School of Public Health, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan; Department of Cardiology, Tokyo Metropolitan Tama Medical Centre, Tokyo, Japan.
Kanako MakitoDepartment of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
Hiroki MatsuiDepartment of Clinical Epidemiology and Health Economics, School of Public Health, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
Kiyohide FushimiDepartment of Health Policy and Informatics, Tokyo Medical and Dental University Graduate School of Medicine and Dental Science, Tokyo, Japan.
Hideo YasunagaDepartment of Clinical Epidemiology and Health Economics, School of Public Health, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundRemimazolam is a novel anaesthetic and sedative agent that offers several advantages, including minimal adverse haemodynamic effects and availability of a specific antidote, flumazenil. Flumazenil can induce seizures as an adverse effect; however, the incidence of seizures after flumazenil reversal after total intravenous anaesthesia with remimazolam (remimazolam-flumazenil) remains unknown. We compared the risk of seizures between total i.v. anaesthesia with remimazolam-flumazenil or propofol.

methodsWe retrospectively identified patients who underwent elective surgery (excluding brain surgery) with total i.v. anaesthesia in Japan between April 2020 and March 2022 using the Japanese Diagnosis Procedure Combination database. Patients were divided into remimazolam-flumazenil and propofol groups. Patients in the remimazolam-flumazenil group were matched to those in the propofol group at a variable ratio of 1:3 (maximum) based on age, sex, hospital, and type of surgery. We conducted conditional logistic regression analyses to assess the association between total i.v. anaesthesia with remimazolam-flumazenil and the incidence of perioperative seizures.

resultsWe identified 12 033 patients who underwent total i.v. anaesthesia with remimazolam-flumazenil and 432 275 patients with propofol, creating a matched cohort of 19 105. The crude incidence of seizures was 0.66% (95% confidence interval, 0.63-0.68%). There was no significant difference in seizures between the two groups (adjusted odds ratio, 1.08; 95% confidence interval, 0.49-2.37).

conclusionsWe observed no significant differences in perioperative seizures between remimazolam-flumazenil and propofol in patients undergoing non-neurological surgery. This suggests that remimazolam-flumazenil is a possible alternative to total i.v. anaesthesia with propofol.

Indexed as

Anesthesia, IntravenousAnesthetics, IntravenousAntidotesBenzodiazepinesFlumazenilHypnotics and SedativesPropofolSeizuresAdultAgedAged, 80 and overCohort StudiesDatabases, FactualEast Asian PeopleFemaleHumansAnesthetics, IntravenousAntidotesBenzodiazepinesFlumazenilHypnotics and SedativesPropofolremimazolamflumazenilpropofolremimazolamsafetyseizuretotal intravenous anaesthesia

Identifiers

PMID39919984
PMCPMC11947602

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.