HYPNOTIC EFFICACY AND SAFETY OF TRIAZOLAM ADMINISTERED DURING THE POSTOPERATIVE PERIOD

This study examined the hypnotic efficacy and safety of short-term use of triazolam following elective surgery. One hundred women (ages 26-69) who had received 0.125 mg of triazolam the evening before breast cancer surgery were enrolled in a randomized, doubled-blind study comparing triazolam to placebo. Study medication was begun on the first or second evening following surgery, depending on the patient's level of postoperative alertness, and was administered in the hospital for three consecutive evenings. The starting dose of triazolam was 0.125 mg, with the option of increasing the dose to 0.25 mg on subsequent nights if sleep response was inadequate. Relative to patients in the placebo group, patients in the triazolam group reported significantly (p < 0.05) less difficulty falling asleep, fewer nighttime awakenings, better overall sleep quality, and a greater sense of restfulness. No clinically significant adverse reactions were encountered and no adverse reactions occurred more frequently in the triazolam group than in the placebo group. Results indicate that administration of triazolam is a safe and effective method of improving sleep in patients recovering from surgery.