Skip to content

Efficacy of Propofol or Midazolam Compare to Placebo for Preoperative Medication

Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Study to Evaluate the Efficacy of Propofol or Midazolam Versus Placebo for Preoperative Medication in Patients Undergoing Elective Orthopedic Surgery

Status
Completed
Phases
Phase 4
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT01976845
Enrollment
139
Registered
2013-11-06
Start date
2013-11-30
Completion date
2015-07-31
Last updated
2016-03-14

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Elective Orthopedic Surgery

Keywords

propofol, midazolam, sedative, anxiolytic, amnesic, recall, Memory, Perioperative outcomes

Brief summary

The purpose of this research is: To evaluate the sedative (reduces irritability or agitation), anxiolytic (reduces anxiety), and amnesic (produces temporary lack of recall) effects of propofol or midazolam when administered for preoperative medication (before administration of drugs that will put patient to sleep) in comparison to placebo. This study is to test whether the use of the pre-anesthesia medication measurably reduces anxiety in comparison to receiving no pre-anesthesia medication prior to orthopedic procedures. To assess the effect of propofol in comparison to placebo and midazolam on the ability to recall (memory of): * when the doctor places the mask on patient's face prior to going to sleep * recall of 2 pictures * on your satisfaction with the anesthesia as well as postoperative side effects in post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) e.g., nausea ,vomiting and sedation.

Detailed description

The role of anxiolytic premedication in the ambulatory surgical population is frequently debated. Anesthesiologists may consider the administration of anxiety-reducing drugs unnecessary when anxiety levels are low in outpatients presenting for minor surgery. However, the previous study reports that up to 80% of outpatients expressed a preference for a combination of anxiety-reducing and hypnotic premedication before surgery (1-4). In addition to anxiolysis, goals of anxiolytic premedication include sedation, amnesia, improved patient cooperation, and/or improved patient satisfaction. Intravenous (IV) midazolam is the most commonly used premedicant in the ambulatory setting due to its rapid onset, and short half-life (2,3,5), but its residual effects in the immediate postoperative period may contribute to postoperative sedation, as well as to delayed recovery and discharge-readiness after brief outpatient surgery. Furthermore, White et al. (6) noted that the slope of the dose-response curve for sedation was much steeper with midazolam compared with diazepam, which suggests that midazolam may possess a smaller margin of safety and greater need for careful titration to achieve the desired clinical end-point without untoward side effects. Propofol has become the IV (intravenous) anesthetic of choice for ambulatory anesthesia because of its excellent recovery profile (7). Clinical experience with propofol in the ambulatory setting suggests that its use is associated with less residual sedation and lower incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) (8). However, there are some undesirable side effects associated with propofol including pain on injection, cardiovascular and respiratory depression, and occasional excitement on emergence from anesthesia (9). Practically, small doses of propofol (10-20 mg IV) have been used as an anxiolytic/sedative medication. To date, there is only one study that has evaluated propofol versus midazolam versus placebo as premedication (10). In this study, the authors stated that propofol (0.4 mg/kg IV) had anxiolytic effects comparable in magnitude and duration to midazolam (0.04 mg/kg IV) with less memory impairment, respiratory depression and dizziness. However, they did not assess the efficacy of propofol and midazolam as a premedication on the recovery profiles and patient's satisfaction in their study. Compared to placebo and propofol, midazolam was associated with more frequent respiratory depression and significant impairment of anterograde explicit memory. Both propofol and midazolam helped relieve anxiety and lowered blood pressure (compared to baseline) but both were associated with greater dizziness scores (P\<0.001, compared to placebo). They concluded that Propofol had an anxiolytic effect comparable in magnitude and duration to that of midazolam with less memory impairment, respiratory depression and dizziness. Propofol appears to be an economical, effective and safe alternative to midazolam for treating pre-anesthesia anxiety, and especially to be used for induction of anesthesia (10). (This sentence is not clear). Therefore, we designed this randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled study to evaluate propofol as a premedication and to see if it: * produces comparable anxiolytic effects to midazolam when compared to placebo, but with less memory impairment * facilitates early recovery profile * improves patient's satisfaction with the induction and early recovery from anesthesia.

Interventions

DRUGMidazolam

Midazolam (20mg) 2 ml IV, in the pre-op area as a premedication

DRUGPropofol

Propofol (20mg) 2 ml IV, in the pre-op area as a premedication

DRUGSaline

Saline 2 ml IV, in the pre-op area as a premedication

Sponsors

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
QUADRUPLE (Subject, Caregiver, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 70 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Willingness and ability to sign an informed consent document * No allergies to midazolam or propofol * 18 - 70 years of age * American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Class I-III adults of either sex

Exclusion criteria

* Patients with known allergy, hypersensitivity or contraindications to midazolam, propofol, anesthetic or analgesic medications * Patients with clinically-significant medical conditions, such as brain, heart, kidney, endocrine, or liver diseases * Pregnant or lactating women * Subjects with a history of alcohol or drug abuse within the past 3 months * Patients chronically using sedative, anxiolytic drugs prior to the surgery * Morbid obesity (BMI \>40 kg/m2) * Patients who are agitated or confused prior to receiving the drug ( verbal rating scale \[VRS\] greater then 6)

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Scores on the Verbal Rating Scale For Anxietyone dayUsing the verbal rating scale (VRS) for anxiety (0= none to 10 = extremely nervous)

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Scores on the Verbal Rating Scale For Sleepiness (Sedation)one dayUsing the verbal rating scale (VRS) for anxiety (0= none to 10 = extremely sleepiness)
Produces Amnesia(Memory Recall)one dayAbility to recall (memory of): •recall of 2 pictures

Countries

United States

Participant flow

Recruitment details

Prior to the day of surgery, potential study patients received a packet of materials (initial patient contact letter, a HIPAA information sheet, and the IRB approved informed consent form) from their surgeon. Patients who were interested in participating in the study were asked to bring the materials to the hospital on the day of surgery.

Pre-assignment details

Randomization assignment was generated with a 1:1:1 allocation ratio using a computer software program. The randomization number specifying the study medication was placed in sealed envelope and given to a non-participating anesthesiologist on the day of the scheduled procedure after completing the patient's preoperative assessment.

Participants by arm

ArmCount
Propofol
Propofol 20 mg IV (2 ml) Propofol: Propofol (20mg) 2 ml IV, in the pre-op area as a premedication
40
Midazolam
Midazolam 2 mg IV (2 ml) Midazolam: Midazolam (20mg) 2 ml IV, in the pre-op area as a premedication
40
Saline
Saline 2 ml Saline: Saline 2 ml IV, in the pre-op area as a premedication
40
Total120

Withdrawals & dropouts

PeriodReasonFG000FG001FG002
Overall StudyPhysician Decision883

Baseline characteristics

CharacteristicPropofolMidazolamSalineTotal
Age, Continuous52 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 13
51 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 15
49 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 14
51 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 14
Body Mass Index (BMI)28 kg^m2
STANDARD_DEVIATION 5
28 kg^m2
STANDARD_DEVIATION 6
28 kg^m2
STANDARD_DEVIATION 5
28 kg^m2
STANDARD_DEVIATION 5
Region of Enrollment
United States
40 participants40 participants40 participants120 participants
Sex: Female, Male
Female
24 Participants17 Participants15 Participants56 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Male
16 Participants23 Participants25 Participants64 Participants

Adverse events

Event typeEG000
affected / at risk
EG001
affected / at risk
EG002
affected / at risk
deaths
Total, all-cause mortality
— / —— / —— / —
other
Total, other adverse events
0 / 400 / 400 / 40
serious
Total, serious adverse events
0 / 400 / 400 / 40

Outcome results

Primary

Scores on the Verbal Rating Scale For Anxiety

Using the verbal rating scale (VRS) for anxiety (0= none to 10 = extremely nervous)

Time frame: one day

ArmMeasureValue (MEAN)Dispersion
PropofolScores on the Verbal Rating Scale For Anxiety1.8 Scores on a Scale (0-10)Standard Deviation 1.8
MidazolamScores on the Verbal Rating Scale For Anxiety2.3 Scores on a Scale (0-10)Standard Deviation 2.1
SalineScores on the Verbal Rating Scale For Anxiety2.8 Scores on a Scale (0-10)Standard Deviation 2.1
Secondary

Produces Amnesia(Memory Recall)

Ability to recall (memory of): •recall of 2 pictures

Time frame: one day

Population: Subjects who recall the picture

ArmMeasureValue (NUMBER)
PropofolProduces Amnesia(Memory Recall)30 participants
MidazolamProduces Amnesia(Memory Recall)12 participants
SalineProduces Amnesia(Memory Recall)38 participants
Secondary

Scores on the Verbal Rating Scale For Sleepiness (Sedation)

Using the verbal rating scale (VRS) for anxiety (0= none to 10 = extremely sleepiness)

Time frame: one day

ArmMeasureValue (MEAN)Dispersion
PropofolScores on the Verbal Rating Scale For Sleepiness (Sedation)4.6 Scores on a Scale (0-10)Standard Deviation 2.5
MidazolamScores on the Verbal Rating Scale For Sleepiness (Sedation)5.2 Scores on a Scale (0-10)Standard Deviation 2.3
SalineScores on the Verbal Rating Scale For Sleepiness (Sedation)2.5 Scores on a Scale (0-10)Standard Deviation 2.4

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026