High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Etomidate (USAN, INN, BAN) (marketed as Amidate) is a short acting intravenous anaesthetic agent used for the induction of general anaesthesia and for sedation for short procedures such as reduction of dislocated joints, tracheal intubation and cardioversion. It was discovered at Janssen Pharmaceutica in 1964 and it was introduced as an intravenous agent in 1972 in Europe and in 1983 in United States.