title: The effect of adjuvant midazolam compared with fentanyl on the duration of spinal anesthesia with 0.5% bupivacaine in opium abusers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There are a number of adjuvants to be used for local anesthetics in spinal block. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the possible effect of intrathecal midazolam compared with bupivacaine as adjuvants in spinal anesthesia with bupivacaine in chronic opium abuses.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a double blind, randomized clinical trial, 90 opium abuser patients undergoing lower limb orthopedic surgery were selected and randomly assigned into 3 groups (30 cases each). The patients received 15 mg plain bupivacaine, or 15 mg bupivacaine plus 25 mcg fentanyl or 15 mg bupivacaine plus 1 mg midazolam, intrathecally.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The duration of anesthesia was much longer in the bupivacaine-midazolam group than the bupivacaine-fentanyl group; both were longer than the plain bupivacaine group (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Subarachnoid injection of adjuvant midazolam or fentanyl with plain 0.5% bupivacaine in opium abusers in lower limb orthopedic surgery increases the duration of sensory block. Therefore midazolam is more effective than fentanyl in such cases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Faculty of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Farhad
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Safari
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dabbagh
authors.forename: Mansour
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sharifnia
keywords: Adjuvant; Fentanyl; Intrathecal; Midazolam; Spinal anesthesia