Personal Update on the Shortage of Injectable Midazolam

This morning I took my wife in for outpatient surgery, and all went well. The nurses were well-pleased that they had received some injectable midazolam after being out for two months. In my previous post, Shortage of injectable midazolam, I didn't mention that this drug is used immediately before general anesthesia.

Shortage of midazolam for injection

The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists reports a shortage of injectable midazolam. This drug shortage is almost certainly related to the previously reported shortages of lorazepam and diazepam. All three of these benzodiazepines are used when it is desirable for a patient to be conscious during short-term sedation, pain relief, control of seizures, and resuscitation trauma, but midazolam is popular because it will have its peak effect in 2-4 minutes, and then another dose can be injected as needed. Also, the body eliminates midazolam faster and its amnesic effect may be helpful for pain and trauma. As an added bonus, midazolam injections are not painful compared to diazepam and lorazepam.