Diazepam dosage and timing in ketamine combination anaesthesia. A double-blind study

Area of Science:

• Anesthesiology
• Geriatric Medicine
• Surgical Care

Background:

• Elderly patients (over 65) undergoing abdominal surgery require careful anesthetic management.
• Combination anesthesia offers a potential approach for this demographic.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a specific combination anesthesia regimen (ketamine, diazepam, alcuronium, nitrous oxide) in elderly patients.
• To compare the efficacy and safety of two different total diazepam dosages (15 mg vs. 5 mg) within this regimen.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 41 patients over 65 years old received combination anesthesia for abdominal surgery.
• Anesthesia involved ketamine, diazepam, alcuronium, and nitrous oxide with controlled ventilation.
• Patients were divided into two groups receiving either 15 mg or 5 mg of diazepam total dose.

Main Results:

• No statistically significant differences were observed between the 15 mg and 5 mg diazepam groups in terms of key outcomes.
• The incidence of adverse events like bad dreams, vomiting, and nausea was low in both groups.
• Subjective evaluations by anesthesiologists, nurses, and patients indicated high acceptability of the combination anesthesia.

Conclusions:

• The combination anesthesia regimen using ketamine, diazepam, alcuronium, and nitrous oxide is highly acceptable for elderly patients undergoing abdominal surgery.
• While not statistically significant, the data suggests a trend favoring the higher total diazepam dose (15 mg) for potentially improved outcomes.