Evaluation of intra-venous diazepam anaesthesia on liver functions

ABSTRACT

Diazepam has been based as premedication and main intravenous anesthetic agent in 60 patients subjected to different minor and major surgical interventions. A battery of liver function tests was applied on blood samples collected before, immediately after, 21 hr, 48 hr, and one week after operation. By using this battery of tests, the immediate and delayed effects of diazepam on liver functions could be evaluated. Diazepam was used in some cases with impaired liver functions, but no statistically significant changes could be detected. Thus intra-venous diazepam anaesthesia can be safely used in the presence of liver disease provided other factors i.e. hypoxia, hypercabia, etc., which affect liver functions are avoided. We would like to thank Dr. A.S. Ibrahim [M.D.], Lecturer of Statistics, Cancer Institute, Cairo University for his kind help in the statistical analysis of the results: