Recovery time of midazolam continuous infusion for dental implant surgery

Midazolam is widely used as a sedative; however, few studies have measured recovery time after continuous administration. In this study, sedation during implant surgery was performed with the continuous administration of midazolam, and the recovery time was measured.
A bolus dose of 0.05 mg/kg was administered to 46 patients with an American Society of Anesthesiologists classification of I or II. The continuous dose was initiated at 0.025 mg/kg/h and was thereafter adjusted to maintain a bispectral index of 70–80. Midazolam was discontinued at the end of the procedure and the awakening time was defined as that when the bispectral index ≥ 90. After transfer to the recovery room, the patient’s state was evaluated using the post anesthetic discharge score, and subsequently evaluated every 20 min. When the score reached ≥ 9, the patient was allowed to return home. The elapsed time between initiation of midazolam and a post anesthetic discharge score exceeding 9 was 90–110 min.
One hour of continuous infusion of midazolam can be administered approximately one hour after awakening if the depth of sedation is properly managed.