• L Quario Rondo and C Thompson.
• Unit of Anesthesia and Intensive Care, San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy.
• Minerva Anestesiol. 2008 May 1; 74 (5): 173-9.

BackgroundIt is common practice to administer a premedication to patients about to undergo anesthesia. This study compared the effects of a small intravenous bolus of propofol versus midazolam administered as a premedication.MethodsIn this prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 60 healthy adult subjects scheduled for general anesthesia were given midazolam (0.04 mg/kg), propofol (0.4 mg/kg) or saline intravenously in the anesthesia waiting room. Before administration and three times at 2.5 min intervals subsequently, blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen saturation and scores for anxiety and dizziness were recorded. Recall of words and images shown to the patient 5 min after drug administration was tested 10-30 min after recovery from anesthesia.ResultsBoth propofol and midazolam helped relieve anxiety and lowered blood pressure (P<0.001, compared to baseline), but both were associated with greater dizziness scores (P<0.001, compared to placebo). Compared to placebo and propofol, midazolam was associated with more frequent respiratory depression (P<0.05) and significant impairment of anterograde explicit memory (P<0.05).ConclusionPropofol may be an economical and safe alternative to midazolam for i.v. premedication.

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