Comparison of the sedative effectiveness of two pharmacological regimens.

This study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of two orally administered pharmacological regimens. The subjects were twenty-six patients requiring a sedative premedication for dental treatment, due to difficult behavior. A randomized, double-blind, cross-over design was employed using chloral hydrate syrup, 30 mg/Kg; and diphenhydramine HCl, 1.5 mg/Kg orally, not to exceed 2,000mg and 75mg, respectively; and chloral hydrate syrup, 30 mg/Kg; and diazepam solution, 0.2 mg/Kg orally, not to exceed 2000mg and 10mg, respectively. The level of conscious sedation was assessed, utilizing two scales employed previously in other studies. It was demonstrated that it is possible to maintain a low-dose range of sedative medication with satisfactory results. The combination of diazepam and chloral hydrate was found to be more effective than the diphenhydramine, chloral hydrate combination.