Keywords
Zolpidem
Effects
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Abstract
Objective: to analyze the risks of using zolpidem in the elderly and evaluate the existence of possible effective therapeutic alternatives. Methods: this is a qualitative, retrospective and cross-sectional approach, carried out through an integrative review of literature extracted from the databases: National Library of Medicine (PubMed) and the Virtual Health Library (VHL). The search was carried out using the descriptors “elderly”, “zolpidem” and “effects”, using the Boolean operator “AND”. Articles published in the last 5 years (2018-2023), full texts, of the controlled clinical trial type, were included. Duplicates and off-topic articles were excluded, resulting in 26 articles. Results: despite therapeutic efficacy, studies have demonstrated serious adverse effects in the use of zolpidem in the elderly, being related to higher rates of falls, fractures and daytime fatigue, which can cause dependence and an increased risk of suicide, when combined with opioids and benzodiazepines. Final considerations: it is considered that the use of zolpidem in the treatment of insomnia in the elderly should be discouraged, due to the serious adverse effects it can cause in this population, and another therapeutic alternative should be prioritized and, as a last resort, special caution should be exercised when using it in elderly.
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