Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 24, 2026

Anesthesia and Intubation of Preadolescent Mouse Pups for Cardiothoracic Surgery
09:47

Anesthesia and Intubation of Preadolescent Mouse Pups for Cardiothoracic Surgery

Published on: June 2, 2022

A comparison of midazolam and clonidine as an oral premedication in pediatric patients

Sequeira Trevor1, Madhusudan Upadya, Chandni Sinha

  • 1Department of Anaesthesia, Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore, Karnataka, India.

Saudi Journal of Anaesthesia
|March 14, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Oral midazolam provided superior anxiolysis in pediatric patients compared to clonidine, while clonidine offered better sedation. Midazolam is recommended for anxiety reduction, but clonidine

Area of Science:

  • Anesthesiology
  • Pediatric Pharmacology

Background:

  • Premedication in pediatric surgery aims to reduce anxiety and facilitate anesthesia induction.
  • Oral midazolam and clonidine are commonly used agents for pediatric premedication.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the efficacy of oral midazolam versus oral clonidine for sedation and anxiolysis in pediatric patients undergoing elective surgery.

Main Methods:

  • Sixty pediatric patients (2-12 years, ASA I-II) received either oral midazolam (0.5 mg/kg, 30 min pre-induction) or oral clonidine (4 μg/kg, 90 min pre-induction).
  • Sedation and anxiety levels were assessed at separation, venipuncture, and mask application.

Main Results:

  • Both agents increased sedation and calmness; clonidine provided better overall sedation.
  • Midazolam demonstrated superior anxiolysis during venipuncture and mask application.
  • Midazolam had minimal hemodynamic impact, whereas clonidine caused a significant drop in blood pressure pre-induction.

Conclusions:

  • Oral midazolam is more effective than clonidine for anxiolysis in pediatric patients.
  • Clonidine's sedative effects and perioperative benefits remain valuable, particularly during parental separation.
Abstract

Keywords:
Anxiolysisoral clonidineoral midazolampediatric anesthesiapremedicationsedation

Related Concept Videos

Parenteral Anesthetics: Overview01:24

Parenteral Anesthetics: Overview

Intravenous anesthetics are drugs administered parenterally to induce anesthesia or sedation. Propofol is a widely used agent formulated as a 1% emulsion in soybean oil, glycerol, and egg phosphatide. It induces rapid anesthesia primarily due to its rapid distribution from the bloodstream to target tissues and is metabolized in the liver. However, it can cause significant pain on injection and hypertriglyceridemia. Fospropofol, a water-based prodrug of propofol, lacks these adverse effects.
Drug Delivery: Enteral Route01:18

Drug Delivery: Enteral Route

The enteral drug administration involves three primary routes: oral, sublingual, and buccal. Oral ingestion is the most prevalent, safe, economical, and convenient method for drug administration. However, it has certain drawbacks, including limited absorption due to the drug's low water solubility or poor membrane permeability, possible emesis from GI mucosa irritation, destruction of drugs by digestive enzymes or low gastric pH, and irregular absorption along with food or other drugs.
Drugs in...
Sedatives and Hypnotics Drugs: Miscellaneous Agents01:17

Sedatives and Hypnotics Drugs: Miscellaneous Agents

Sedatives and hypnotics encompass a wide range of substances, each with its unique mechanism of action, uses, and potential adverse effects.
Melatonin congeners like ramelteon (Rozerem) and tasimelteon (Hetlioz) selectively bind to melatonin receptors (MT1 and MT2) and thus mimic the actions of melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep-wake cycles. Tasimelteon is primarily used for non-24-hour sleep-wake disorder, common in blind patients. They are also used to treat conditions like insomnia...
Drug Dosing: Infants and Children01:29

Drug Dosing: Infants and Children

Pediatric patient dosages diverge from adults due to disparities in body surface area, total body water, and extracellular fluid per kilogram of body weight. The dosing regimen considers the variations in pharmacokinetics and pharmacology across distinct age groups, encompassing preterm newborns, infants, young children, older children, and adolescents. Calculation of pediatric patient doses is predicated on determining body surface area, which exhibits a superior correlation with the child's...
Sedatives and Hypnotics: Overview01:23

Sedatives and Hypnotics: Overview

Sedatives are drugs that alleviate anxiety, while hypnotics induce sleep. Both classes of medication suppress neuronal activity, leading to a calming effect for sedatives and facilitating sleep for hypnotics.
Sedative-hypnotics are categorized into barbiturates, benzodiazepines (BZDs), and non-benzodiazepines or Z-drugs. These drugs work by suppressing central nervous system activity, and this suppression is dose-dependent. Older sedative medications, like barbiturates, follow a linear curve in...
Inhalational Anesthetics: Overview01:20

Inhalational Anesthetics: Overview

Inhalation anesthetics are drugs that induce general anesthesia upon inhalation. They work by increasing the sensitivity of GABAA receptors or inhibiting NMDA receptors, leading to a decrease in central nervous system activity. The depth of anesthesia can be rapidly adjusted by changing the concentration of the inhaled gas. Some common examples of inhalational anesthetics include volatile liquids like isoflurane, desflurane, sevoflurane and gases like xenon and nitrous oxide. Isoflurane, a...