Psychosomatics 28: 19-23, 1987
Copyright
© 1987 Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine
Use of benzodiazepines in a coronary care unit
THEODORE A. STERN M.D.1,
ROBERT A. CAPLAN M.D.2, , and
NED H. CASSEM M.D.3
1 Assistant professor of psychiatry, Harvard Medical School
2 Associate professor of psychiatry, Harvard Medical School
3 Assistant professor of anesthesiology and medicine at the University of Washington
House officers often, but not routinely, prescribed benzodiazepines for the 50 patients with suspected or documented myocardial infarction (MI) in this study. Of the 33 patients receiving these agents, 24 did so on a fixed-dosage basis and nine on a prn basis. Over four fifths of the fixed-dosage benzodiazepines were actually administered. However, prn orders were infrequently implemented (only 16% of the total prescribed amount), and rarely served the purpose of providing sedation or adequately relieving excessive anxiety. Possible reasons for this undermedication are discussed. We recommend that when acute coronary patients require a benzodiazepine, fixed-dosage schedules be utilized.
