Temazepam as premedication in elderly patients.

One hundred and forty-five men were randomly allocated on a double-blind basis to receive either temazepam 20 mg, diazepam 10 mg or placebo as premedication. Temazepam produced more sedation than either diazepam or placebo. Postoperative recovery was assessed by a simple visuo-motor co-ordination test and was best in the placebo group. Two hours into recovery, temazepam patients could almost match their baseline performance whereas the performance of the diazepam patients was still significantly worse than pre-operatively. Temazepam is suggested as a suitable premedicant for elderly patients undergoing minor surgery.