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Controlled Cortical Impact Model for Traumatic Brain Injury
Published on: August 5, 2014
Prospective cohort study into post-disaster benzodiazepine use demonstrated only short-term increase
T Dorn1, C J Yzermans, J van der Zee
1Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research (NIVEL), Otterstraat 118-124, P.O. Box 1568, 3500 BN Utrecht, the Netherlands. t.dorn@nivel.nl
Journal of Clinical Epidemiology
|July 4, 2007
Summary
Following a disaster, benzodiazepine use increased temporarily among parents. Long-term use remained stable, indicating adherence to conservative prescription guidelines for these medications.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Public Health
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Benzodiazepines are commonly prescribed for anxiety and insomnia, conditions frequently experienced after disasters.
- Prolonged benzodiazepine use can lead to dependence.
- Disaster-stricken communities may see altered medication patterns.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate benzodiazepine prescribing patterns in a community affected by a disaster.
- To compare benzodiazepine use among disaster victims' parents versus control groups.
- To assess the duration of benzodiazepine use post-disaster.
Main Methods:
- Prospective cohort study over 4 years with predisaster baseline data.
- Multilevel regression analysis.
- Comparison of 496 parents of disaster victims with 1,709 community controls and 4,530 unaffected cohort patients.
Main Results:
- Benzodiazepine use remained stable in control groups.
- Parents of disaster victims showed a 1.58 times higher likelihood of benzodiazepine use in the first year post-disaster.
- No statistically significant differences in long-term benzodiazepine use were observed between parents and controls.
Conclusions:
- Benzodiazepine prescriptions in the studied community were primarily short-term interventions.
- Clinical guidelines for conservative benzodiazepine prescribing were generally followed.
- The study suggests effective management of benzodiazepine use post-disaster.
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