Efficacy of anesthetic premedication in pediatric patients using oral midazolam and acetaminophen. Observational study

Abstract

Anesthetic premedication with midazolam helps reduce anxiety in the children and the parents, the need for analgesic use, and the development of negative psychological events during the postoperative period; it also results in shorter inhalation induction and orotracheal intubation. Compounded preparations have been developed using ampoules for parenteral administration mixed with flavor modifiers in order to improve acceptance. To determine the efficacy of premedication using a mix of midazolam plus acetaminophen, a prospective descriptive observational study was conducted in 216 children ASAI or II, scheduled for surgical or diagnostic procedures requiring general anesthesia. Anxiety-sedation scales were given (Modified Yale scale and RASS), and tolerance to separation from the parents was assessed.
Results: The RASS scale applied at the time of induction showed that 92% of the patients were at an appropriate level of sedation to tolerate facemask inhalation induction, and 86% of patients tolerated well their separation from their parents. It was found that age, gender, education, socioeconomic status, pre-anesthetic check type (telephonic or in person), or a history of previous anesthesia, did not have a statistically significant correlation with the degree of anxiety-sedation.
Conclusions: Premedication with a compounded preparation does reduce anxiety at the time of separating the child from its parents, and allows a good acceptance of the inhaled anesthetic induction.