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Intravenous lorazepam was compared to diazepam as pre medication for gastrointestinal endoscopy in 40 consecutive patients during a double-blind trial. For the doses given, patients receiving lorazepam were more often drowsy or asleep during the procedure than those who received diazepam. Twenty-four hours later at least 50% of the lorazepam patients failed to remember a series of events which occurred on the day of their endoscopy as opposed to 20% of the diazepam patients. Lorazepam is a safe and effective premedicant for gastrointestinal endoscopy; it renders a tranquil patient who is largely unaware of events which occur during the procedure.