Aminophylline antagonism of the sedation caused by meperidine and diazepam

Recent reports showed that aminophylline antagonizes the sedation caused by diazepam and narcotic agents. This study examined the antagonism of diazepam and meperidine in extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) anesthesia by low dose aminophylline. Eighty patients, aged 20-60 year-old, ASA I-II were randomly selected. No premedication was given. Anesthesia was induced and maintained with diazepam (0.2-0.5 mg/kg) and meperidine (2-5 mg/kg). The patients were divided into two groups. Group A, the control group, was given physostigmine 1 mg iv and naloxone 0.4 mg im as antagonists for diazepam and meperidine immediately after the ESWL procedure. In group B, only aminophylline 2 mg/kg iv as antagonist was given. Recovery were assessed by the "arbitrary six point scale::and "psychomotor performance". There was no significant difference between the two groups for the arbitrary six point scale. However, in the psychomotor test, the aminophylline group did not completely reach the baseline value in one hour as the control group did. This implicated that patients can by physostigmine and naloxone but not by aminophylline.