In a clinical trial comparing diazepam and chlordiazepoxide in the treatment of delirium tremens, the outstanding difference noted was that diazepam appeared to have a more rapid onset of action, enabling dosage to be adjusted more accurately. It is suggested that this difference, in conjunction with its greater anticonvulsant activity, renders diazepam preferable to chlordiazepoxide in the treatment of delirium tremens. Certain ethical and methodological problems peculiar to this type of study are noted.
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