The Effect of the Benzodiazepine Antagonist Flumazenil on the Sequels of Diazepam Given before Upper Gastrointestinal Endoscopy a Double-Blind Randomized Trial

Abstract

The prolonged sedation of benzodiazepines may be inconvenient for the patient. Reversal of sedation, therefore, would be desirable. Accordingly, we assessed the efficacy of the benzodiazepine antagonist flumazenil in a placebo-controlled randomized trial including 40 adults undergoing upper gastrointestinal endoscopy under diazepam (Diazemuls®) sedation. We found no significant differences between groups with regard to either performance (two tests) or duration (within 240 min) of sedation. There were no noticeable side effects.

Key Words:

• Benzodiazepine
• benzodiazepine antagonist
• upper gastrointestinal endoscopy