Diazepam and intracranial pressure

Abstract

The authors measured ICP after intravenous injection of diazepam in neurosurgical patients. In the hypertensive group, ICP did not change, while MAP and cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) decreased significantly after diazepam to 82 and 77% of control values at 5 min, respectively. In the normotensive group, ICP significantly decreased only at 5 min while MAP and CPP remained unchanged. There were no significant differences of the values before diazepam between the two groups in MAP, CPP, CVP, blood gases, heart rates, hematocrit and body temperature. PA(CO2) values before and after diazepam were 37±1 (mean ±SEM) and 39±1 torr in the hypertensive group, and were 40±2 and 39±3 torr in the normotensive group, respectively.