Incidence of thrombophlebitis in humans with the diazepam vehicle

Forty-one adult males volunteered for a study designed to investigate the thrombogenicity of the Valium® vehicle. Utilizing a standardized protocol, each subject received a sedative dose of Injectable Valium® in the antecubital fossa of one arm and an equivalent volume of vehicle in the contralateral arm. Both were administered with a continuous infusion drip of 5 per cent dextrose in water. Post-operative evaluation extended over 10 weeks and included clinical observation and palpation. Ultrasonic tests for occluded or impaired blood flow were performed with a Doppler Flowmeter.Five subjects (12.2 percent) had venous sequelae with the Valium® and two (4.8 percent) developed sequelae with the vehicle. The incidence of venous sequelae reported in the present study was considerably lower than in previous investigations (66.6 per cent and 37.5 per cent) utilizing the same protocol. The present study indicates that time of continuous infusion appears to contribute to thrombophlebitis subsequent to intravenous injection of Valium®. It also appears that the diazepam vehicle is not the major factor in the occurrence of thrombophlebitis.