Evaluation of anti anxiety effect of rectal diazepam as a premedication with oral midazolam on children who are undergoing eye surgery

The induction of anaesthesia for surgery is a stressful event for children and they have increased anxiety during the preoperative period. To treat pre-operative anxiety in children pharmacological methods (premedication) are used in combination with behavioral methods. The purpose of this investigation was to study the effect of rectal diazepam and oral midazolam to alleviate preoperative anxiety of children who are undergoing eye surgery. The study was designed and conducted as a double blinded randomized clinical trial. Children candidate correction eye surgery (2-6 years old) were enrolled and divided in two comparative groups randomly. In group 1, patients received rectal diazepam 0.5 mg/kg and in group, children received 0.5 mg/kg oral midazolam. Severity of anxiety and sedation score (Ramsay score) was recorded. 49 patients and 48 patients were enrolled in oral midazolam and rectal diazepam, respectively. Sedation score in patients received rectal was less than in patients received oral midazolam significantly (p=0.031). There was no significant difference between two groups according to anxiety score. our finding showed that rectal diazepam could obtain sedative effect than oral midazolam.