Midazolam and diazepam compared as sedatives for outpatient surgery under local analgesia.

Patients who had given their informed consent took part in a study to compare the sedative properties of the new benzodiazepine, midazolam, with diazepam. The drugs were administered intravenously and the quality of sedation, profoundness of amnesia, and rate of recovery were examined. Both drugs provided good-quality sedation, with midazolam producing a significantly greater degree of amnesia. Psychomotor tests used to assess recovery showed that patient performance following exposure to either drug had returned to normal 2 hours postsedation. However, patients who had received diazepam were drowsier later in the day and during the night following sedation than those who received midazolam. The implications of these findings are discussed.