Injection
2 mg/ml
Dosage Forms
Uses
Dose and Duration
Status epilepticus and febrile convulsions
Adult and child over 10 years: by mouth, 10 mg repeated once after 10 minutes if required
Child 5–10 years: 7.5 mg by mouth repeated once after 10 minutes if required
Child 1–5 years: 5 mg by mouth as above
Child 3 months–1 year: 2.5 mg by mouth as above
Child under 3 months: 0.3 mg/kg (max 2.5 mg) by mouth
Neonate and child up to 18 years: by IV injection, initially 0.15–0.2 mg/kg followed by continuous IV infusion of 0.06 mg/kg/hour (increased by 0.06 mg/kg/hour every 15 minutes until seizure controlled). max 0.3 mg/kg/hour
Conscious sedation for procedures
By slow IV injection over 2–3 minutes 5–10 minutes before procedure
Adult: initially 2–2.5 mg by slow IV injection at a rate of about 2 mg/minute 5–10 minutes before procedure, increased if necessary in steps of 1 mg up to a usual total dose 3.5–5 mg (max 7.5 mg )
Elderly or debilitated: initially 0.5–1 mg (max 3.5 mg)
Child 1 month–18 years: by mouth, initially 0.025–0.05 mg/kg titrated in small steps up to a total dose of 7.5 mg, 10 mg and 6 mg for child 12–18 years, 6–12 years and 1 month–6 years respectively
Sedative in combined anaesthesia
Adult: by IV injection, 0.03–0.1 mg/kg repeated as required or by continuous IV infusion, 0.03–0.1 mg/kg/hour
Use lower dose in elderly
Premedication
Adult: by deep IM injection, 0.07–0.1 mg/kg 20–60 minutes before induction or by IV injection,1–2 mg 5–30 minutes before procedure repeated as required
Elderly or debilitated: by deep IM injection, 0.025–0.05 mg/kg 20–60 minutes before induction or by IV injection, 0.5 mg repeated slowly as required
Child 1 month–18 years: by mouth, 0.5 mg/kg (max 20 mg) 15–30 minutes before induction
Induction (but rarely used)
Adult: by slow IV injection, 0.15–0.2 mg/kg (0.05–0.15 mg/kg in the elderly or debilitated) in divided doses (max 5 mg) at intervals of 2 minutes. Max total dose 0.6 mg/kg
Child 7–18 years: initially by slow IV injection over 2–5 minutes, 0.15 mg/kg (max 7.5 mg) given in steps of 0.05 mg/kg (max 2.5 mg) every 2–5 minutes as required to a maximum total dose of 0.5 mg/kg of 25 mg
Sedation of patients receiving intensive care
Adult and child over 12 years: by slow IV injection, 0.03–0.3 mg/kg given in steps of 1–2.5 mg every 2 minutes, then by continuous IV infusion, 0.03–0.2 mg/kg/hour
Child 6 months–12 years: 0.05–0.2 mg/kg by slow IV injection over at least 3 minutes followed by continuous IV infusion of 0.03–0.12 mg/kg/hour, adjusted according to response
Child 1–6 months: 0.06 mg/kg/hour by continuous IV infusion adjusted according to response
Neonate: 0.06 mg/kg/hour by continuous IV infusion adjusted according to response (reduce dose to 0.03 mg/kg/hour after 24 hours in a neonate below 32 weeks gestational age). Treat for 4 days