[Use of the diazepam-pentazocine (pentazepam) combination in anesthesiology]

The authors report on 50 surgical or endoscopic cases in which local or regional anaesthesia was completed with a combination of diazepam and pentazocine (Pentazapam). This "diazanalgesia" was performed either as a routine or as a complement to regional anaesthesia (mostly an epidural) in which restlessness or insufficient analgesia were noted. Both drugs are injected separately. Diazepam being used to combat anxiety and pentazocine to allay pain. Sedation was considered to be sufficient in 43 cases out of 50 and analgesia in 47 cases out of 50. In all but one case, recovery was calm. In 24 cases, the patients regained consciensness quickly. There was only little effect on respiratory frequency, blood gases, blood pressure or cardiac rate. Thus, pentazepam combination can be considered as a useful method of "wake diazanalgesia" as far as it is used to complement a local or regional anaesthesia. This technique seems particularly useful in the aged or bad risk patient because of its moderate cardiovascular or respiratory aciton.