Zolpidem-Related Surge in Emergency Department Visits
Abstract
Emergency department visits involving adverse reactions to the sleep medication zolpidem increased 220% from 2005 to 2010, from 6111 visits to 19 487 visits, said the authors of a report issued May 1 by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Nearly 3 in 4 zolpidem-related emergency department visits involved patients aged 45 years or older, and roughly two-thirds were women. An estimated 50 million to 70 million people in the United States have chronic sleep...