Clinical evaluation of diazepam for relief of postoperative pain

Morphine 10 mg or diazepam 10 mg or a mixture of morphine 5 mg and diazepam 5 mg were given i.m. to three groups of 35 patients for relief of pain in the period immediately after operation. The patients had undergone upper abdominal operation for which a uniform regime of premedication and anaesthesia had been used. Pain was assessed by an observer before and after treatment and by the subjects, using a five-point scoring scheme. The pain scores before treatment and at 30-, 60-, 90- and 120-min intervals after treatment were compared by Ridit analysis. All three treatments produced significant relief, but the relief after diazepam alone was not as long-lasting as after the other two treatments. No clinically significant cardiovascular or respiratory complications occurred. Diazepam alone was associated with significantly more restlessness and morphine alone was associated with significantly more sickness. The combination of morphine and diazepam was considered to be the treatment of choice.