Oral Midazolam Syrup Provides Consistent Sedation in Children

Midazolam sedation for children has generally been provided by ad hoc mixture of midazolam with another substance to hide the bitter taste. In a manufacturer-supported study, investigators from 9 U.S. medical centers evaluated a commercially prepared oral midazolam syrup as a premedication for children undergoing elective surgery.

Patients were block randomized to receive 0.25, 0.5, or 1.0 mg/kg of midazolam syrup, up to a maximum of 20 mg. Sedation, cooperation, and anxiolysis were scored at 10-minute intervals for 45 minutes using well-defined 4- or 5-point scales. Complete data were available for 350 of 405 subjects. Of these, 95% accepted the medication and 97% achieved satisfactory sedation. There were clinically minor but statistically…