COMPARATIVE-STUDY ON THE CLINICAL EFFECTS OF OXAZEPAM AND DIAZEPAM - RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PLASMA-LEVEL AND EFFECT

Abstract

The clinical effects of oxazepam and diazepam as oral premedicants were tested in a double-blind study of 60 children and 50 adults. The gas chromatographically measured concentrations of the active unconjugated forms of oxazepam and diazepam in the plasma were correlated to their clinical effects, as assessed both subjectively and objectively (sleep, sedation, apprehension, excitement, dizziness, emetic effect, headache, increase or decrease in systolic blood pressure, increase in pulse rate and venepuncture). No significant difference in the effects of the 2 benzodiazepine derivatives were observed and there was no obvious relationship between the plasma concentration and clinical effect.