BACKGROUND AND METHODS Alcohol abuse is one of the most common causes of seizures in adults. In a randomized, double-blind study, we compared lorazepam with placebo for the prevention of recurrent seizures related to alcohol. Over a 21-month period, we studied consecutive patients with chronic alcohol abuse who were at least 21 years of age and who presented to the emergency departments of two ...

BACKGROUND The choice of the optimal benzodiazepine to treat prehospital status epilepticus is unclear. Lorazepam is preferred in the emergency department, but concerns about nonrefrigerated storage limits emergency medical services (EMS) use. Midazolam is increasingly popular, but its heat stability is undocumented. OBJECTIVE This study evaluated temperature-dependent degradation of lorazepa...

The effects of lorazepam premedication on the mother and baby were compared with those of a placebo in a double-blind study of 10 patients undergoing elective Caesarean section. There was little anxiolytic effect on the mothers, and no harmful effects to the babies occurred in respect of blood-gas tensions, heart rate, temperature or feeding patterns. Lorazepam did produce a transient effect on...

Unexplored Territories IN this issue of ANESTHESIOLOGY, Barr et al. make a useful contribution to our understanding of the clinical pharmacology of intensive care unit (ICU) sedation. It is estimated that approximately $1 billion is spent each year in the United States alone on drugs used for sedation in the ICU. Misuse of these drugs contributes to morbidity, mortality, and expense. Optimizati...

The efficacy of a sublingual preparation of lorazepam was compared with an i.m. injection of lorazepam as premedication for 150 patients undergoing minor gynaecological surgery. Anxiety, arousability and recall of auditory, visual and tactile stimuli were used as measurements of the degree and rate of onset of the effects. Anxiety scores decreased in both groups after medication. Patients who r...

Fifty patients were randomised in a double blind placebo controlled study to examine the influence of lorazepam (4 mg orally) before bone marrow aspiration and trephine biopsy. Assessment was made by a visual analogue linear pain scale compiled after the procedure and again 24 hours later. There was no difference in the pain recalled immediately after the procedure between the two groups, but t...

BACKGROUND The pharmacological management of violence in people with psychiatric disorders is under-researched. AIMS To compare interventions commonly used for controlling agitation or violence in people with serious psychiatric disorders. METHOD We randomised 200 people to receive intramuscular lorazepam (4 mg) or intramuscular haloperidol (10 mg) plus promethazine (25-50 mg mix). RESULT...