Study of narcotics and sedatives for use in preanesthetic medication.

The use of preanesthetic medication is primarily to produce sedation, but the degree of sedation desirable prior to anesthesia and operation is debatable. Narcotics, while unequaled as analgesics, have many undesirable side-effects. The routine use of narcotics for preoperative medication, therefore, exposes all patients to the hazards of these drugs. There was little difference in the influence of the various preanesthetic drugs on satisfactory induction of anesthesia with any given anesthetic agent, but the complications of the induction period varied according to the preanesthetic drug and the anesthetic agent. The continued routine use of narcotics for preanesthetic medication is unwise and unwarranted. Preoperative medication should be tailored to meet the needs of the patient and his operation.