Lorazepam as a premedicant in dental surgery

In a double-blind study, 100 young, healthy (American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status I) patients received lorazepam (Ativan; Wyeth) 2.5 mg or placebo orally as premedication before general anesthesia for extraction of wisdom teeth. Lorazepam produced a significant reduction in the incidence of pre-operative anxiety and post-anesthetic headache compared with placebo (P < 0.01). Anterograde amnesia was also more frequent in the patients who had received lorazepam (P < 0.001). The medicolegal implications of using lorazepam as a premedicant in dental surgery at a day clinic are discussed.