Avoiding midazolam overdose: summary of a safety report from the National Patient Safety Agency

Midazolam is often used intravenously in single doses of between 0.5 mg and 2.5 mg for conscious sedation of patients for endoscopy or minor surgery as well as for dentistry. Its potential for oversedating patients is well documented by gastroenterologists and others.1 2 Between November 2004 and November 2008, healthcare staff reported 498 dosing errors for midazolam to the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) in England and Wales through the agency’s web based surveillance system; in three cases the patient died. Part of an entry in the report from one healthcare professional read: “Patient given intravenous midazolam 7 mg and 5 mg =12 mg by Dr [staff name] and during the procedure (gastroscopy and colonoscopy) then was unrousable. There has been a trend of incidents related to this procedure and this matter has been raised with the unit manager.” This summary is based on the safety report (known as a “rapid response report” or “RRR”) from the NPSA on how to prevent overdose of midazolam. The RRR highlights …