title: Cerebral blood flow velocity assessed by Doppler technique after intravenous application of diazepam in very low birth weight infants.
abstract: Studies on the side effects of diazepam on the particularly vulnerable brain of preterm infants have not been done so far. We studied changes of blood flow velocity in the anterior, basilar and internal carotid artery by Doppler technique in 11 preterm infants less than 1,500 g who were given 0.5 mg/kg i.v. diazepam. The flow velocities in the internal carotid and basilar artery did not change significantly and values for carbon dioxide tension, mean arterial blood pressure and HF remained stable. There was a marked increase of flow velocity in the anterior cerebral artery. We conclude that diazepam in this dosage does not cause dangerous haemodynamic changes in the premature brain.
authors.affiliation: Children's University Hospital, Münster, FRG.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jorch
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rabe
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rickers
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bömelburg
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hentschel
mesh_terms: D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000187:drug effects; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D003975:Diazepam / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight / Q000502:physiology; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000502:physiology*; D014465:Ultrasonics
chemical_list: D003975:Diazepam