Premium
An investigation of the potential morphine sparing effect of midazolam
Author(s) -
GILLILAND H. E. M.,
PRASAD B. K.,
MIRAKHUR R. K.,
FEE J. P. H.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
anaesthesia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.839
H-Index - 117
eISSN - 1365-2044
pISSN - 0003-2409
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2044.1996.tb12605.x
Subject(s) - midazolam , medicine , anesthesia , sedation , morphine , bolus (digestion) , placebo , significant difference , antiemetic , surgery , nausea , alternative medicine , pathology
Summary The effect of a bolus and continuous infusion of midazolam on postoperative morphine consumption was assed in a placebo‐controlled, double‐blind, randomly allocated trial of 50 patients undergoing elective abdominal hysterectomy. Patients in the trial group received a bolus dose of midazolam 5 mg.70 kg ‐1 at induction followed by an infusion at a rate of 1 mg.70 kg h ‐1 over the next 48h. Morphine consumption in the midazolam group was scientifically lower in the first 12 h postoperatively. (p < 0.02) but there was no significant difference between the two groups thereafter. Patients in the midazolam treated group had lower pain scores over the first 24 h. Also, a significantly greater number of patients in the midazolam group required no antiemetic medication over the 48 h study period (p < 0.05). Assessment of sedation revealed no significant difference between groups. We conclude that low dose midazolam has a significant, but short‐lived, morphine sparing effect .