| Item |
Information |
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Drug Groups
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approved |
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Description
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A benzodiazepine used as an anti-anxiety agent with few side effects. It also has hypnotic, anticonvulsant, and considerable sedative properties and has been proposed as a preanesthetic agent. [PubChem] |
| Indication |
For the management of anxiety disorders, and for treatment of status epilepticus. |
| Pharmacology |
Lorazepam, a benzodiazepine not transformed to active metabolites, is used to treat anxiety, status epilepticus, and for sedation induction and anterograde amnesia. |
| Toxicity |
Somnolence, confusion, and coma, LD50=3178mg/kg (orally in mice). |
| Affected Organisms |
| • |
Humans and other mammals |
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| Biotransformation |
Hepatic |
| Absorption |
Readily absorbed with an absolute bioavailability of 90%. |
| Half Life |
12 hours |
| Protein Binding |
85% |
| Elimination |
Lorazepam is rapidly conjugated at its 3-hydroxy group into lorazepam glucuronide which is then excreted in the urine. |
| References |
| • |
Kemper N, Poser W, Poser S: [Benzodiazepine dependence: addiction potential of the benzodiazepines is greater than previously assumed (author's transl)] Dtsch Med Wochenschr. 1980 Dec 5;105(49):1707-12.
[Pubmed]
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Lader M: Short-term versus long-term benzodiazepine therapy. Curr Med Res Opin. 1984;8 Suppl 4:120-6.
[Pubmed]
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Maltais F, Laberge F, Laviolette M: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of lorazepam as premedication for bronchoscopy. Chest. 1996 May;109(5):1195-8.
[Pubmed]
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| • |
Heisterkamp DV, Cohen PJ: The effect of intravenous premedication with lorazepam (ativan), pentobarbitone or diazepam on recall. Br J Anaesth. 1975 Jan;47(1):79-81.
[Pubmed]
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| • |
Milligan DW, Howard MR, Judd A: Premedication with lorazepam before bone marrow biopsy. J Clin Pathol. 1987 Jun;40(6):696-8.
[Pubmed]
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| External Links |
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