Benzodiazepine
Panel: Carefully evaluate candidates for benzodiazepine treatment
NEW ORLEANS — A panel of experts at the American Psychiatric Association annual meeting agreed that benzodiazepines are effective for a number of conditions, but patients must be selected and followed carefully.
Benzodiazepine prescriptions for veterans with PTSD declined over 10-year period
Benzodiazepine prescriptions for U.S. military veterans with PTSD declined due to decreased prevalence over a 10-year period, according to a retrospective observational study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.
Benzodiazepine-free treatment tied to favorable withdrawal outcomes
Implementation of treatment for alcohol withdrawal symptoms without benzodiazepines was associated with decreased use of the drug and favorable outcomes, according to a quality improvement study published in JAMA Network Open.
Psychotropic medication use tied to 1-year mortality in patients with heart disease
Among patients with cardiac disease, nearly 20% used psychotropic medications, and psychotropic medication use was linked to elevated risk for 1-year mortality, researchers reported.
Simultaneous benzodiazepine, SSRI initiation fairly common for anxiety
Simultaneous initiation of benzodiazepine and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor treatment was somewhat common among young adults with anxiety disorders, according to study results published in Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.
Psychiatric prescriptions up during pandemic, especially among women
Prescriptions for Z-hypnotics, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, and benzodiazepines have increased during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Medication use increased among nursing home residents during pandemic
Recent data revealed an increase in medication use among nursing home residents in Ontario, Canada, “with the potential for adverse effects” during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to researchers.
Adding second-line therapy ineffective for seizure cessation in status epilepticus subset
Despite risks, opioid users more likely to receive sedating medications
Individuals who used or abused opioids were significantly more likely to receive sedating medications, including benzodiazepines, than those who did not use opioids, data show.
Z-drugs plus opioids pose similar threat for unintentional overdose as benzodiazepines
Concomitant treatment with non-benzodiazepines, or Z-drugs, was linked to a significant relative increase in overdose risk in patients receiving prescription opioids, according to study results published in American Journal of Psychiatry.