Canadian Journal of Anesthesia, Vol 15, 281-290, Copyright © 1968 by Canadian Anesthesiologists' Society

A Clinical Comparison of Diazepam and Thiopentone as Induction Agents to General Anaesthesia

¹ Department of Anaesthesia, Royal Victoria Hospital, Montreal

Experience with 200 cases has been presented, in which 2.5 per cent thiopentone was used as the induction agent in 100 cases, 0.1 per cent diazepam in fifty cases, and 0.5 per cent diazepam in the remaining fifty. Patients were compared during the induction, peroperative, emergence, and postoperative periods. Patients induced with diazepam were slower in going to sleep than those induced with thiopentone. In some instances patients induced with diazepam did not lose consciousness completely; they were, however, extremely co-operative, and induction of anaesthesia was easily completed with nitrous oxide, oxygen, and halothane. Cardiovascular effects of the two agents are comparable when used in the manner described above. Effects on the respiratory system were less pronounced with diazepam. Patients induced with diazepam were more drowsy and tended to have a longer period of amnesia postoperatively than those in the thiopentone group. Both groups, however, were comparable in their return to normal activity.