RESUMO
Introduction: The main aims of preanesthetic medication in children are to reduce anxiety associated with the unfamiliar environment, facilitate the separation of the child from their parent and allow smooth induction of anesthesia. Both oral midazolam and oral ketamine fulfil many of these characteristics and are useful. Method: As 48 patients of ASA grade 1 and 2, aged between 2-10 years undergoing elective surgery were allocated to one of two study groups using random numbers: Group 1 received midazolam 0.5mg/kg and group 2 received midazolam 0.25 mg/kg with ketamine 3 mg/kg. The medications were prepared and mixed with 25% dextrose up to a maximum volume of 0.3 ml/kg. Result: Uniform and acceptable sedation scores were seen in both the groups, without any serious side effects. However, the combination offered significantly more children in an awake, calm and quiet state, who were easily separated from their parents. The induction scores, Recovery room characteristics and time to achieve satisfactory Aldrete score were also comparable between the two groups. Conclusion: Oral midazolam alone and a combination of midazolam with ketamine provide equally effective anxiolysis and separation characteristics. However, the combination provided more Benefits.