MOOD EFFECTS OF ZOLPIDEM VERSUS PHENOBARBITAL COMBINED WITH PROMETHAZINE IN AN ANESTHESIOLOGICAL SETTING

Zolpidem, a new imidazo-pyridine hypnotic, acts like a benzodiazepine. Because of its short half-life, zolpidem plays a special role in the group of drugs suitable for anesthesiological premedication because of its sedative and anxiolytic effects. The study compared preanesthesio logical treatment by zolpidem and phenobarbital in combination with pr omethazine in a clinical setting. In a double-blind randomized design, 304 patients awaiting different kinds of surgery were studied. For th e assessment of emotional states, a multidimensional rating scale was administered. The study showed differing effects of zolpidem and pheno barbital, which could be demonstrated in the scales 'irritation','vuln erability', and 'aggression' and could therefore represent in domain h ostility. In most of the other scales there were similar effects of ph enobarbital and zolpidem. Assuming that phenobarbital is a potent seda tive, the reported Phenobarbital results confirm the results found by other authors, that zolpidem also acts as a Promethazine sedative. The reported results describe promethazine as selectively deactivating. T hese results are in agreement with the findings of an experimental stu dy which tested the acute effects of stress under promethazine.