Many drugs, especially when given in rapid sequence can cause histamine release. Ten healthy volunteers were premedicated with diazepam 10 mg.70 kg-1 i.v. and lormetazepam 1 mg.70 kg-1 i.v., respectively, 30 min prior to etomidate 0.15 mg.kg-1 i.v. in a single-blind, crossover study. The