Advances in the clinical use of midazolam

Midazolam,a benzodiazepine with short half-life,perfect potency,and slight influence on hemodynamics,has a pharmacologic profile including sedation,anticonvulsant and anterograde amnesia.Lots of attention was paid to the use of midazolam in premedication of general anesthesia,conscious sedation for outpatients in short procedures or examinations,sedation in intensive care units(ICU),treatment of childhood status epilepticus,and intrathecal analgesia.This review focuses on the advance in clinical use of midazolam. Key words: Midazolam; Benzodiazepine