A randomised, double-blind controlled trial of intranasal midazolam for the palliation of dyspnoea in patients with life-limiting disease

Purpose Anxiety is a major component of breathlessness and is often palliated with benzodiazepines. Midazolam is a short acting water-soluble benzodiazepine with a rapid onset of action and short half-life, intranasal midazolam had been shown to be of marked clinical benefit in an uncontrolled pilot study for the control of dyspnoea. A blinded randomised controlled study was therefore undertaken across four Australasian palliative care services