Contraception
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
The effect of lorazepam on pain and anxiety in abortion.
In this double-blind study, 104 women were randomized to receive 1 mg lorazepam or placebo prior to a first-trimester abortion. In addition, 262 women were allowed to choose whether or not to take the lorazepam. ⋯ In the observational group, the women who took lorazepam had their mean anxiety score drop from 5.5 to 4.7 while in those who did not take it, the score rose from 3.8 to 4.9. This study indicates that giving oral benzodiazepines preoperatively is neither helping nor hurting our patients but the placebo effect can be helpful to make our patients more comfortable.