Editor’s key points
fatigue
RECRUITMENT

Anxiolysis for children undergoing short day-case surgical procedures is an important intervention.The findings of this randomised trial suggest melatonin is less effective than midazolam for preoperative anxiolysis in children.However, the trial was terminated early because of recruitment fatigue, which makes the findings more susceptible to bias.Each year, ∼487,000 children undergo general anaesthesia in the UK.Midazolam is a benzodiazepine and remains the most commonly prescribed oral premedication in the UK for anxious children before general anaesthetic.The aim of the MAGIC trial was to evaluate the effectiveness of melatonin compared with midazolam in the premedication of anxious children before general anaesthesia with non-inferiority methodology. The rationale for completing this comparison on a non-inferiority basis is represented by the improved AE profile of melatonin. Secondary trial objectives include the comparison of side-effects observed with each drug and the time to discharge.