THE EFFECT OF DROPERIDOL ON OBJECTIVE MARKERS OF PATIENT COOPERATION AND VITAL SIGNS DURING ESOPHAGOGASTRODUODENOSCOPY - A RANDOMIZED, DOUBLE-BLIND, PLACEBO-CONTROLLED, PROSPECTIVE INVESTIGATION

We investigated the effect of droperidol on objective markers of coope ration and vital signs in 140 patients undergoing elective diagnostic esophagogastroduodenoscopy. Procedure duration and the total doses of midazolam and meperidine required during the procedure were evaluated as objective markers of patient cooperation. The droperidol group comp rised 66 patients and the placebo group 74 patients. Patient and proce dure characteristics were similar for both groups. Droperidol produced a 10% reduction in procedure duration. Linear multiple regression mod eling revealed droperidol to be a significant predictor of procedure d uration (p =.036). Droperidol significantly reduced midazolam and mepe ridine requirements (p <.01). Nonetheless, four patients in the droper idol group received naloxone to reverse prolonged, excessive drowsines s. Droperidol produced a significant reduction in procedure-associated increase in pulse rate but did not exacerbate procedure-associated re duction in mean arterial pressure. Droperidol favorably influences mar kers of patient cooperation during elective, diagnostic esophagogastro duodenoscopy. However, the clinical significance of these changes is u nclear.