Comparative clinical studies of oral premedication in childhood with reference to various pharmaceuticals

: In a randomized prospective study of 206 children aged between one and 14, the influence of oral praemedication on the psychic condition and with regard to anaesthesiologic measures was investigated. Heart rate, inhibition of salivation and the kind and frequency of side-effects were also examined. The praemedication was carried out using diazepam (0.3 mg/kg), promazin (1.0 mg/kg), promethazin (1.0 mg/kg) and chlorphenaethazin (1.0 mg/kg). It was not possible to determine statistically relevant differences between the various drugs concerning the fixed criteria. In general, however, diazepam seems to achieve the best results. In the younger children (1 to 6 years) a frequent and insufficient effect of praemedication was noted immediately. Oral praemedication proved to be a valuable and practicable method which was well tolerated by the great majority of the children.