
RO 21???3981 for Intravenous Surgical Premedication and Induction of Anesthesia
Author(s) -
J. T. Conner,
Ronald L. Katz,
R. R. Pagano,
Charles W. Graham
Publication year - 1978
Publication title -
anesthesia and analgesia/anesthesia and analgesia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.404
H-Index - 201
eISSN - 1526-7598
pISSN - 0003-2999
DOI - 10.1213/00000539-197801000-00001
Subject(s) - medicine , anesthesia , premedication , sedation , inhalation , blood pressure , promethazine , tracheal intubation , intubation
RO 21-3981, a new water soluble benzodiazepine, was studied in 24 patients both as an intravenous premedicant and to induce anesthesia. The premedicant dose of 5 mg produced lack of recall and marked sedation within 1 to 2 minutes after injection and persisted for at least 32 minutes. Subsequent induction of anesthesia required an additional 5 to 25 mg of RO 21-3981. However, anesthesia was not induced in 1 patient with 25 mg and was accomplished only with inhalation anesthesia. Loss of lid reflex was unreliable as a sign of induction for patients in whom tracheal intubation was planned. Although decreases in blood pressure of 10 to 30 mm Hg were noted after administration of RO 21-3981, systolic pressure was not recorded below 90 mm Hg. RO 21-3981, because of its amnesic, sedative, and anxiolytic properties, appears to be an excellent premedicant although the 5 mg dose studied was probably larger than necessary. For induction of anesthesia, RO 21-3981 may be an effective alternative to thiopental.