We have studied simultaneously the pharmacokinetics of flumazenil and midazolam in 12 healthy Chinese children, aged 5-9 yr, undergoing circumcision. Two hours before operation each patient received midazolam 0.5 mg kg-1 orally for premedication and 0.5 mg kg-1 i.v. during induction. Six minutes after cessation of anaesthesia, a bolus of flumazenil 10 micrograms kg-1 was given i.v., followed by an infusion of flumazenil at 5 micrograms kg-1 min-1 which was maintained until the child could identify himself. Midazolam data were consistent with a three-compartment model with a mean (SD) elimination half-life of 107 (30) min, total body clearance of 15.4 (3.2) ml min-1 kg-1 and apparent volume of distribution at steady state of 1.9 (0.6) litre kg-1. Flumazenil data were best interpreted by a monoexponential function, with a mean terminal elimination half-life of 35.3 (13.8) min, a total plasma clearance of 20.6 (6.9) ml min-1 kg-1 and apparent volume of distribution at steady state of 1.0 (0.2) litre kg-1. No unchanged midazolam was detected in the 24-h urine sample, but 5.8-13.8% of the flumazenil dose was recovered unchanged. At the time of self identification, 4.5 (1.4) min after flumazenil administration, the mean plasma concentrations of midazolam and flumazenil were 163.1 (43.7) and 29.9 (16.1) ng ml-1, respectively.