Etomidate
Etomidate is a commonly used drug for intubations in the intensive care unit. It is a sedative-hypnotic that acts on the GABA receptors in the brain to block neuroexcitation.
The time to effect for etomidate is 15-45 seconds. The duration of action is 3-12 minutes. The typical dose is .3-.4mg/kg.
When using etomidate, it must be remembered that it has no analgesic effect (i.e., does not provide pain control) and it suppresses adrenal function (and thus skews a cortisol stimulation test) for up to 24 hours