ABSTRACT
Propofol (25 patients) or midazolam (25 patients) was used to provide sedation in patients who underwent abdominal or orthopaedic surgery under epidural anaesthesia after intravenous premedication with droperidol 1 mg and fentanyl 20 micrograms. The quality of sedation whilst the block was performed, was assessed as good in 19 patients after propofol 1.49 mg/kg but six patients exhibited uncontrolled movement. Good sedation was provided in 22 patients after midazolam 3 mg. A mean infusion rate of propofol of 1.74 mg/kg/hour resulted in easily controllable sedation during the procedure. Eleven patients given midazolam required no further sedation but a mean of 5.79 mg was needed in the remaining 14 patients; the dose was unpredictable in individual patients. Recovery was significantly more rapid in the propofol group.
