Cardiopulmonary performance following changes in position and the administration of intravenous Diazemuls

Twenty healthy volunteers entered a study to assess cardiopulmonary responses, as measured by pulse oximetry, following changes in posture in the dental chair and the administration of Diazemuls (diazepam) in doses sufficient to instill sedation (up to a maximum dose of 20 mg) in the volunteers to a degree such that ptosis was seen. The results indicate that SaO2 values remained above 95 per cent throughout the study. It is concluded that although changes in SaO2 and pulse rate do occur, these differences are not important in healthy individuals, although they may be more serious in patients with pre-existing cardiopulmonary disease.