The treatment of acute anxiety states in neurotic patients with intravenous lorazepam. A placebo-controlled study.
In a double-blind trial, 20 neurotic patients with acute anxiety were treated with 3 mg. lorazepan intravenously and 17 others were treated with placebo. A total of 24 injections of lorazepam and 26 of plter compared with 9 patients on placebo (p smaller than 0.05). Sixty minutes after the injections of lorazepam, patients were free of anxiety symptoms on 70.8% occasions, compared with only 7.7% occasions following placebo (p smaller than 0.01). The effects of lorazepam on anxiety were discernible 10 minutes after the injections. Considering the number of patients, not injections, 85.0% were free of symptoms after treatment with lorazepam and only 11.8% after treatment with placebo (p smaller than 0.01). Blood pressure, pulse rate and respiratory rate were favourably influenced by the drug and not by placebo; these effects were discernible 10 minutes after the injection.
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*; D001552:Benzazepines / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010919:Placebos; D011674:Pulse / Q000187:drug effects; D012119:Respiration / Q000187:drug effects; D013997:Time Factors; D014149:Tranquilizing Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D001552:Benzazepines; D010919:Placebos; D014149:Tranquilizing Agents