Clinical & Experimental Cardiology
Open Access

Abstract

Efficacy and Safety of Lorazepam Relative to Chest Pain, Delirium, Arrhythmias, and Sleep Satisfaction in Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study

Saowanee Naowapanich, Pattanaporn Supina, Potchanard Tancharoon-Ouangjan, Phinaphorn Sungkomkeang, Apirom Laocharoenkeat and Thananya Boonyasirinant

Background: Patients with anxiety commonly occurs after an Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS). The standard treatment to relieve anxiety is the sedation drugs. Lorazepam can effectively relieve the symptoms and affect the symptoms confusion and mood changes.
Objective and methods: To investigate the efficacy and safety of lorazepam relative to chest pain, delirium, arrhythmias, and sleep satisfaction compared to placebo in patients with acute coronary syndrome. This prospective, randomized, double-blind clinical trial included ACS patients who were treated during the April 2016 to June 2018 study period. The study population was randomized into the lorazepam group or the placebo group. Subjects received either lorazepam 0.5 mg oral QD or placebo, which was administered for at least 7 days from the first day until discharge or transfer.
Results: A total of randomized controlled trials included 248 patients. The placebo seems to be non-inferior to lorazepam for the events (chest pain, delirium and arrhythmias) (P value=0.001). The primary endpoint occurred at a higher rate in the lorazepam group than in the placebo group.
Conclusion: Placebo was found to be non-inferior to lorazepam for the cardiac events evaluated in this studychest pain, delirium, and arrhythmias. The mean score of first-night sleep satisfaction was significantly higher in the lorazepam group than in the placebo group, which suggests the efficacy of lorazepam in ACS patients to relieve anxiety and improve the quality of sleep during the first night of their hospital stay.