Objective  To evaluate the application of different anesthetic drugs—remimazolam (RM) and propofol (PPF)—in anesthesia for pediatric adenoidectomy and tonsillectomy and its effect on emergence agitation.

Methods  A total of 120 children undergoing elective adenoidectomy and tonsillectomy under general anesthesia in Xinhua Hospital, Huainan Xinhua Medical Group between December 2022 and August 2024 were enrolled. With a random number table, they were assigned to a PPF group receiving PPF and remifentanil and a RM group receiving RM and remifentanil, with 60 cases in each group. The primary and secondary outcome indicators of the two groups were compared. The primary outcome indicator was the incidence of emergence agitation. Secondary outcome indicators included anesthesia-related parameters, changes in mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR) at different time points during surgery, changes in pediatric anesthesia emergence delirium (PAED) scores at different time points after recovery, changes in Ramsay sedation scores and Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, Consolability (FLACC) pain scores at 2, 4, 12, and 24 hours after surgery, incidence of negative postoperative behavioral changes (NPOBCs) at 7 and 14 days, and adverse events during anesthesia.

Results  The incidence rate of emergence agitation was lower in the RM group than that of the PPF group (5.00% vs. 18.33%, P < 0.05). The RM group also demonstrated significantly shorter anesthesia time, extubation time, wake-up time, and postanesthesia care unit (PACU) than those in the PPF group (P < 0.05). HR and MAP in the RM group were higher than those in the PPF group at 3 min after induction, at the time of tracheal intubation, during tonsillectomy, and at the end of surgery, with the difference being statistically significant (P < 0.05). The PAED scores at different time points after recovery, Ramsay sedation scores and FLACC scores at 2, 4 and 12 hours after surgery, the incidence of NPOBCs at 7 days after surgery, and the incidence of adverse reactions during anesthesia were lower in the RM group than those in the PPF group, with the difference being statistically significant (P < 0.05).

Conclusion  RM improves the anesthesia effect and recovery quality of children undergoing adenoidectomy and tonsillectomy, relieves the severity of emergence agitation, reduces the incidence of agitation, and demonstrates good safety.