[Lormetazepam in preoperative sleeplessness. Dose dependance of the effect and comparison with 100 mg pentobarbital (author's transl)].

Lormetazepam (0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8 mg)--a new benzodiazepine--was tested versus Pentobarbital (100 mg) under double blind conditions on 240 preoperative inpatients for night-time sedative and side effects after acute oral intake. Results are based on p less than 0.05. Additionally p less than 0.125 in binomial-two-sample-tests was accepted. Lormetazepam shows dose dependent increase in hypnotic effects (e.g. reduction in sleep latency and number of awakenings, increase of total sleep duration), and side effects (e.g. dopiness, dizziness), but no relevant change in vital signs. About 0.5 mg of Lormetazepam are equivalent to 100 mg of Pentobarbital. 2 mg of Lormetazepam seem to be the optimum dose regarding the relation between hypnotic and side effects. In the view of anaesthesists Lormetazepam is preferable to Pentobarbital because of more favorable safety aspects.