Analysis of Hypnotic Usage in Psychiatric Outpatient Department of a Medical Center Hospital in Taiwan

• Main Authors: Jui-Hsiu Tsai, 蔡瑞修
• Other Authors: Jong-Kang Liu
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2006
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/ax75mw

碩士 === 國立中山大學 === 生物科學系研究所 === 95 === Insomnia, the experience of poor quality or quantity of sleep, is a very common complaint. In the community estimates for the current prevalence of insomnia range from 15 to 28%. Pharmacological treatment of insomia is faster and more effective than other treatments, including psychotherapy, hypnosis, and so on. In pharmacological treatment, benzodiazepines (BZDs) and non-benzodiazepines, including zolpidem, are very common prescribing hypnotic usages because of more effectiveness and safer side-effect profiles. Our retrospective, current observational study is a chart review of 3,152 psychiatric outpatients, attempted to review adverse effects, specifically somnambulism and antegrade amnesia after these medications, to see whether or not, this is an infrequent occurrence in Taiwan population. Of a total 406 long-/intermitted-half-life BZD hypnotics users, 0.25% (1 of 406) reported incidence of somnambulism and anterograde amnesia. However, 5.1% (13 of 255) reported incidence of zolpidem-induced somnambulism and anterograde amnesia. It serves as a reminder for clinicians to inquire of spouses (bed parters) of the patients about any unusual behavior of parasomnia activities when prescribing zolpidem, specifically in Taiwan population.