Remimazolam vs. Propofol: Impact on Postoperative Delirium in Neurosurgical Patients

Remimazolam, a short-acting benzodiazepine, has recently gained approval for use in the induction and maintanance of general anesthesia. In American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status class I and II patients undergoing general anesthesia, the remimazolam-based TIVA has shown comparable efficacy to propofol-based TIVA while demonstrating a superior safety profile. Remimazolam has exhibited a lower incidence of hypotension, reduced vasopressor requirements, and fewer instances of bradycardia compared to the propofol-based TIVA.

The use of benzodiazepine has been associated with an increased risk of postoperative delirium, but there is currently no randomized controlled trial investigating the relationship between remimazolam, a new short-acting benzodiazepine, and postoperative delirium. Therefore, the investigators designed this prospective, randomized, double-blinded, active comparator-controlled, non-inferiority trial to investigate the incidence of postoperative delirium after remimazolam-based TIVA compared with propofol-based TIVA in neurosurgery patients.