The omission of routine preoperative midazolam prescription is associated with increased preoperative sympathetic activation but not mortality: a propensity score matched, before-and-after study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Guidelines recommend avoiding preoperative anxiolytic medication with midazolam. However, the risk-benefit ratio of preoperative midazolam prescriptions remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the association between preoperative midazolam prescription and perioperative in-house mortality as well as preoperative cardiovascular stress.

Methods

We performed a retrospective single-center propensity score-matched study in a university hospital in Germany before and after de-implementation of routine oral preoperative midazolam prescription in December 2018. We included adult patients who underwent general anesthesia between December 1, 2017, and November 31, 2019. Patients who received midazolam premedication before de-implementation were compared to those wh

SUBMITTER: Jung C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12308930 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature