[Preanesthesia in elderly patients undergoing subarachnoid anesthesia: chlordesmethyldiazepam versus diazepam]

Forty patients over 65 undergoing subarachnoid anesthesia with bupivacaine 0.50% (5 mg) and fentanyl (0.1 mg) were subdivided into two equal groups: one was premedicated with atropine and chlordesmethyldiazepam (0.03 mg/kg-1) and the other with atropine and diazepam (0.015 mg/Kg-1). A statistically significant difference was found in the group treated with diazepam which required an increase for anesthetic drugs during surgery. The authors suggest a probable synergic or an enhanced effect between intramuscular chlordesmethyldiazepam and opiates in spinal anesthesia.