[Long-term benzodiazepine use among dialysis patient: A descriptive study]

Dialysis patients frequently have anxiety and sleeping disorders and that explains a benzodiazepine treatment. A significant proportion of dialysis patients are long-term users even though it is not recommended to take benzodiazepine for more than 3 months. Risks of such a use are well identified. Nephrologists frequently have to prescribe benzodiazepines. This prescription is complex and there are few studies regarding the factors of benzodiazepine use among this population.

To determine the prevalence and the factors related to a long-term benzodiazepine use by dialysis patients. To determine the prevalence and the motivation of patients to stop taking medication among the long-term users who got information about the risk of such a use.

The study includes 91 dialysis chronic patients. Their characteristics were collected from medical records and interviews with the patients.

The average age of patients is 65,8 years. In all, 50.5% take benzodiazepines. Among benzodiazepine users, the prevalence of long-term use is 78.3%. Long-term benzodiazepine users (a) are older, (b) less active, (c) frequently diabetic, (d) depressive, (e) unable to walk, (f) less often registered on the kidney transplant waiting list, and (g) had less kidney transplant previously. Benzodiazepine doses of long-term users were higher than the doses of short-term users. Moreover, 60% of patients who are chronic users want to take action and stop the treatment. Observation of side effects, impression of ineffectiveness and fear of addiction are the most identified motivation to stop treatment.

The prevalence of benzodiazepine chronic use by dialysis patients is high. Giving information to the patient about the use of these molecules seems to have a positive impact on the decision to stop.