Meperidine and Promethazine Hydrochloride for Handicapped Patients

¹ Medical Arts Building, Jenkintown, Pennsylvania

By the use of appropriate large doses of promethazine combined with meperidine it was possible to premedicate severely handicapped children so that necessary dental work could be done. The size of the necessary dose varied directly with the degree of retardation. Promethazine replaced half the meperidine, milligram for milligram, and increased effectiveness, while respiratory depression risks were decreased. Side effects were not a problem, except in epileptic patients under medication, where hypotension occurred.

Recommended doses of the combination achieved excellent results in normal office patients. Disturbed patients had a placebo effect remarkably similar to literature reports on normal patients.