Abstract
1 The hypnotic effect of midazolam on the sleep of pre-surgical patients was studied in 99 patients (53 males, 46 females) due to undergo surgery the following day.
2 One tablet of 15 mg midazolam was administered at 21.00 h and a second was given 45 min later if the subject had not fallen asleep, sleep-onset latency being measured from the time the second tablet was taken.
3 Eighty patients required 1 tablet and 19 required 2 tablets. According to the subjective assessment, patients receiving 1 tablet fell asleep in 22.9 ± 14.9 min and those taking 2 tablets fell asleep in 38.4 ± 25.3 min (difference significant P < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference between the 1- and 2-tablet groups with regard to sleep duration, number of awakenings, overall assessment of the night's sleep, sleep quality and state on awakening.
4 Factors which had a statistically significant influence on the dosage requirement were (a) sex, 30.4% females requiring a second tablet v. 9.4% males; (b) age, the mean age of the 2-tablet group being 36.5 v. 47 years in the lower dose group; (c) weight, patients with lower body weight requiring the higher dosage, mean 57.5 v. 66 kg; (d) current insomnia or a history of sleeping problems; (e) previous use of hypnotics; (f) degree of insomnia, moderate/severe insomnia needing a higher dosage (42% v. 21%).
5 One tablet of 15 mg midazolam is sufficient to induce sleep in most cases, a higher dose being indicated where insomnia is chronic and in young robust patients. No definite statement as to whether sex affects the dosage needed can be made on the basis of these findings, and this aspect would require further investigation in a study in which sex is the only variable.
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