PARADOXICAL REACTIONS TO RECTAL MIDAZOLAM AS PREMEDICATION IN CHILDREN

Eighty healthy children, between the ages of 2 and 7 years, who were to undergo oral surgical procedures under general anaesthesia, were allocated randomly to 4 groups. Thre groups received rectal midazolam, and the other group a placebo (saline) as premedication 30 min prior to induction of anaesthesia. Group C 0.45 mg/kg. No statistically significant difference was found between the treatment groups as to the effect on systolic- (p=0.6920) and diastolic (p=0.8701) bloodpressures, respiration (p=0.0505) and pulse (p=0.6192) rates at either pre- or post-sedation levels. However, the results indicate that levels of anxiolysis and sedation were significantly associated with midazolam dosage (p<0.0001). © 1990 Munksgaard International Publishers Ltd.