Benefits and Risks of Intrathecal Midazolam in Lower Limb Orthopedic Surgeries

Abstract

One of the primary aims of anesthesia is to alleviate the patient’s pain and agony, thus permitting the performance of surgical procedures without any discomfort. The use of opioids in intrathecal or epidural anesthesia has become popular to optimize postoperative analgesia. However, opioid-induced side effects, such as respiratory depression, nausea, vomiting, urinary retention and pruritus, limit their use. Several investigations have shown that intrathecal or epidural administration of midazolam produces a dose-dependent modulation of spinal nociceptive processing in animals and humans and is not associated with sedation. This study was conducted to evaluate the isolated effects