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Midazolam, sold under the brand name Versed among others, is a benzodiazepine medication used for anesthesia and procedural sedation, and to treat severe agitation. It works by inducing sleepiness, decreasing anxiety, and causing a loss of ability to create new memories. Like other benzodiazepines, it works by increasing the activity of the GABA neurotransmitter in the brain. The drug does not cause an individual to become unconscious, merely to be sedated. It is also useful for the treatment of prolonged (lasting over 5 minutes) seizures. Midazolam can be given by mouth, intravenously, by injection into a muscle, by spraying into the nose, or through the cheek. When given intravenously, it typically begins working within five minutes; when injected into a muscle, it can take fifteen minutes to begin working. Effects last between one and six hours. Side effects can include a decrease in efforts to breathe, low blood pressure, and sleepiness. Tolerance to its effects and withdrawal syndrome may occur following long-term use. Paradoxical effects, such as increased activity, can occur especially in children and older people. There is evidence of risk when used during pregnancy but no evidence of harm with a single dose during breastfeeding. Midazolam was patented in 1974 and came into medical use in 1982. It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines. Midazolam is available as a generic medication. In many countries, it is a controlled substance. Midazolam is sometimes used for the acute management of prolonged seizures. Long-term use for the management of epilepsy is not recommended due to the significant risk of tolerance (which renders midazolam and other benzodiazepines ineffective) and the significant side effect of sedation. A benefit of midazolam is that in children it can be given in the cheek or in the nose for acute seizures, including status epilepticus.

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Quasi-Digital Biosensor-Interface for a Portable Pen to Monitor Anaesthetics Delivery

Sandro Carrara, Francesca Stradolini, Danilo Demarchi, Abuduwaili Tuoheti, Simone Aiassa

Monitoring of patient response to the anaesthetic drugs is an attractive improvement for achieving a correct balance of sedation level, increasing the chance of success in the right procedure of anaesthesia. Nowadays, there are no commercial tools able to ...

IEEE2019

IoT Bio-Electronic Multi-Panel Device for On-line Monitoring of Anaesthesia Delivery

Francesca Stradolini

After a failure of "One-Size-Fits-All" approach on traditional treatment of diseases, the age of multi-faceted personalized medicine came into being for tailoring therapy to get the best response in the highest safety margin. Personalized drug dosage is on ...

EPFL2018

Diazepam actions in the VTA enhance social dominance and mitochondrial function in the nucleus accumbens by activation of accumbal dopamine D1 receptors

Maria del Carmen Sandi Perez, Carlos Canto Alvarez, Jocelin Grosse, Olivia Zanoletti, Marie-Isabelle Guillot de Suduiraut, Fiona Hollis, Michael van der Kooij, Ioannis Zalachoras, Laura Lozano Montes, Sonia Abad Florensa

Benzodiazepines can ameliorate social disturbances and increase social competition, particularly in high-anxious individuals. However, the neural circuits and mechanisms underlying benzodiazepines’ effects in social competition are not understood. Convergi ...

Nature Publishing Group2018

Related people (1)

Francesca Stradolini

Related units (3)

Related concepts (23)

CYP3A4

Cytochrome P450 3A4 (abbreviated CYP3A4) () is an important enzyme in the body, mainly found in the liver and in the intestine. It oxidizes small foreign organic molecules (xenobiotics), such as toxins or drugs, so that they can be removed from the body. It is highly homologous to CYP3A5, another important CYP3A enzyme. While many drugs are deactivated by CYP3A4, there are also some drugs which are activated by the enzyme. Some substances, such as some drugs and furanocoumarins present in grapefruit juice, interfere with the action of CYP3A4.

Sedation

Sedation is the reduction of irritability or agitation by administration of sedative drugs, generally to facilitate a medical procedure or diagnostic procedure. Examples of drugs which can be used for sedation include isoflurane, diethyl ether, propofol, etomidate, ketamine, pentobarbital, lorazepam and midazolam. Sedation is typically used in minor surgical procedures such as endoscopy, vasectomy, or dentistry and for reconstructive surgery, some cosmetic surgeries, removal of wisdom teeth, or for high-anxiety patients.

Propofol

Propofol, marketed as Diprivan, among other names, also known as 2,6-Diisopropylphenol, is a short-acting medication that results in a decreased level of consciousness and a lack of memory for events. Its uses include the induction and maintenance of general anesthesia, sedation for mechanically ventilated adults, and procedural sedation. It is also used for status epilepticus if other medications have not worked. It is given by injection into a vein, and the maximum effect takes about two minutes to occur and typically lasts five to ten minutes.