Risk of benzodiazepine dependence resulting from hospital admission

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Abstract
Benzodiazepines may result in dependence after relatively brief periods of prescription. This study reports the continued use of either temazepam or nitrazepam as a hypnotic 3-4 months after the provision of the drug as a discharge prescription following an acute hospital stay. Of 160 patients contacted by telephone (out of 275 given such a prescription on discharge), 68 (42.5%) were still taking the hypnotic when contacted and 23 (14%) of these had not previously used a hypnotic regularly prior to hospital admission. The risks of the use of benzodiazepine hypnotics, particularly in the elderly, are discussed and recommendations made to restrict in-patient hypnotic use to no more than 5 days at any one time. Patients should be counselled about the risks of the development of dependence and withdrawal insomnia. Discharge prescription of benzodiazepine hypnotics should not exceed three days duration and preferably be avoided altogether.