USE OF ANXIOLYTICS AND HYPNOTICS IN GYNECOLOGICAL, SURGICAL AND MEDICAL DEPARTMENTS OF GENERAL HOSPITALS

While several surveys have shown that patients in nonpsychiatric hospi tal departments frequently receive anxiolytics or hypnotics during hos pitalization, and also receive discharge prescriptions for these drugs , as yet none has Investigated the start of intake of these drugs duri ng hospitalization in conjunction with an assessment of all types of p sychiatric disorders. Therefore, we studied 728 patients in medical, g ynecological, and surgical departments of two non-university general h ospitals in Austria for the prevalence of anxiolytic and hypnotic drug use during hospitalization as compared to discharge prescriptions for such drugs. Altogether, 59.4% of all admitted patients were treated w ith anxiolytics or hypnotics during their stay in hospital, and 42.8% of those who had not taken such drugs before admission. Of the patient s using these medications during hospitalization, 26.1% also received discharge prescriptions. The significant associations between psychiat ric variables and both drug use during hospitalization and prescriptio ns at discharge, suggest that anxiolytic and hypnotic drugs are used a ptly. However, considering that about half of the patients suffering f rom substance abuse disorders received discharge prescriptions, the ri sk of continued substance abuse must not be neglected. Overall, fewer patients received anxiolytics or hypnotics at discharge than had used them before admission.