[The effect of diazepam and midazolam on the circulation and respiration during spinal and peridural anesthesia]

Diazepam (0.21 mg/kg; group 1) and midazolam (0.03 mg/kg; group 2) was applied for sedation in two groups of urological patients (n = 10 in each) requiring transurethral resection (urine bladder, prostata) using spinal or peridural anaesthesia. Before anaesthetic procedure, 500 ml hydroxyethyl starch were administered for precluding severe vascular depression. Patients receiving midazolam began to sleep within one minute. Heart rate dropped in both groups after injection of both benzodiazepines which was considered a physiological sleeping effect. No hypotensive reactions were registered. Using this therapy maximum PaO2 values of 14.9 kPa in group 1 (diazepam) were registered and of 14.0 kPa in group 2 (midazolam). During the operation all patients were arousable. Side-effects such as nausea, vomiting and confusion were not observed.