Abstract

Commonly prescribed for anxiety and agitation in palliative care patients with serious disease, benzodiazepines are regarded as a class of drugs. Their effectiveness and safety profiles among those individuals, however, are still under question. This systematic review aimed to assess the safety and effectiveness of benzodiazepines in the treatment of anxiety and agitation in patients nearing palliative care. Observational studies, cross-sectional investigations, and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included. The Cochrane risk of bias tool was used to evaluate quality assessment; extracted information included the results of benzodiazepine as anxiety reduction, agitation management, and negative effects. One cross-sectional study, two observational studies, and two RCTs made up the total of five studies that were included in the present review. Benzodiazepines, especially midazolam and lorazepam, were discovered to be successful in lowering anxiety and agitation in palliative care patients. Patients taking benzodiazepines, especially in conjunction with antipsychotics such as haloperidol, exhibited notable improvement in agitation scores and decreased need for rescue drugs. Still, notes were made about benzodiazepines’ safety, especially in relation to sedation, respiratory depression, and possible drug interactions. The research further revealed that relief of other unpleasant symptoms such as dyspnea was usually related to the reduction in anxiety symptoms. Benzodiazepines are useful for managing anxiety and restlessness in palliative care patients, although their dangers, connected with sedation and drug interactions, call for close monitoring during administration. Better knowledge of benzodiazepines’ long term safety and efficacy in palliative care, especially in conjunction with other therapies, calls for more study.

Key words: Benzodiazepines, anxiety, agitation, palliative care, systematic review