The comparison of efficacy and complications of two premedication agents, midazolam-ketamine and midazolam-fentanyl in adult patients who underwent cataract surgery

Background: Cataract is one of the most common eye diseases especially in children and adolescents in two age ranges, and many of these patients need to surgery throughout life. The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy and side effects of midazolam-ketamine and midazolam-fentanyl for sedation in adult cataract surgery. Methods: In this study, which was a case-control study, 80 patients were referred to Farabi Hospital in Tehran from November to December 2018 for cataract surgery and underwent surgery. The patients were divided into two groups (n=40). In this study the method of using midazolam-ketamine (ketamine group) was compared with the combination of midazolam-fentanyl (fentanyl group). The hemodynamic variables such as blood pressure and heart rate before surgery were measured and then measured every 5 minutes during operation and were recorded. In addition to hemodynamic variables, other variables such as agitation, surgeon satisfaction, recovery nurse satisfaction, degree of oxygen saturation during surgery, and nausea and vomiting were compared between the two groups. Results: In this study, 18 patients (45%) of fentanyl group and 17 patients (42.5%) of ketamine group were female. Patients in the two groups had similar demographic distribution before surgery. In this study about blood pressure after surgery, from 80 patients, 22 cases had blood pressure below 119.79 mmHg, of which 3 (13.6%) cases were in ketamine group and 19 cases (86.4%) in fentanyl group. In general, 7.5% of ketamine group and 47.5% of fentanyl group had a blood pressure lower than 119.79 mmHg. Hemodynamic changes and hypotension after sedation was more in fentanyl group. Two groups did not differ in terms of heart rate, arterial oxygen saturation during surgery, surgeon satisfaction during surgery, and postoperative nausea and vomiting. Conclusion: Administration of ketamine-midazolam versus fentanyl-midazolam in patients who underwent cataract surgery by sedation led to more stable hemodynamic variables intraoperatively and other side effects such as heart rate, oxygen saturation, surgeon satisfaction, nausea and vomiting were similar between two groups.