Diazepam

• Anxiety:
  • 2-10mg TDS (no more than 30mg/8 hours)
  • Elderly: 1 mg TDS, then increased if necessary to 7.5–15 mg daily in divided doses

• Insomnia with anxiety:
  • 5-15mg nocte

• Child night terrors and somnambulism:
  • 1-5mg nocte

• Severe acute anxiety, control of acute panic attacks, acute alcohol withdrawal:
  • PO 10 mg TDS or QID during first 24hr; reduced to 5 mg TDS or QID PRN
  • IM/ slow IV: 10 mg, then 10 mg after at least 4 hours if required.

• Acute muscle spasm:
  • Adult: 10 mg STAT then 10 mg after 4 hours if required by slow IV/IM at rate of not more than 5mg/minute

• Preoperative sedation:
  • 10 mg IM before surgery

• Convulsions due to poisoning, status epilepticus, febrile convulsions:

BY IV INJECTION:

• Neonate: 300–400 micrograms/kg, then 300–400 micrograms/kg after 10 minutes if required.
• 1 month–11 years: 300–400 micrograms/kg (max. per dose 10 mg), then 300–400 micrograms/kg after 10 minutes if required.
• 12–17 years: 10 mg STAT then 10 mg after 10 minutes if required.
• Adult: 10 mg STAT then 10 mg after 10 minutes if required, administered at a rate of 1mL (5 mg) per minute.

BY RECTUM:

• Neonate: 25–2.5 mg STAT then 1.25–2.5 mg after 10 minutes.
• 1 month–1 year: 5 mg STAT then 5 mg after 10 minutes.
• 2–11 years: 5–10 mg STAT then 5–10 mg after 10 minutes.
• 12–17 years: 10–20 mg STAT then 10–20 mg after 10 minutes.
• Adult: 10–20 mg STAT then 10–20 mg after 10–15 minutes.
• Elderly: 10 mg STAT then 10 mg after 10–15 minutes.