title: Evaluation of zolpidem, triazolam, and placebo as hypnotic drugs the night before surgery.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the hypnotic effects of a bedtime dose of zolpidem, triazolam, and placebo.
  
  
  METHODS
  "Double-blind, randomized, placebo- and active-controlled, parallel-group" trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  Six Canadian hospitals.
  
  
  METHODS
  357 patients (aged 19 to 71 years) hospitalized the night before a surgical procedure.
  
  
  METHODS
  At bedtime, each patient received either zolpidem 10 mg, triazolam 0.25 mg, or placebo, and was allowed to sleep for a maximum of 8 hours.
  
  
  METHODS
  Outcome measures were subjective in nature and included a morning questionnaire, visual analog scales, and observation forms by study personnel. All continuous variables were analyzed by analysis of variance. All categorical data were compared using the Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel (CMH) test, and the percentage of patients asleep was compared using a CMH chi-square analysis. When significant overall treatment effects were observed, pairwise comparisons were undertaken. Compared with the placebo group, the following parameters were significantly (p < 0.001) different in the zolpidem and triazolam groups: sleep latency was shorter, total sleep time was longer, patients fell asleep more easily, and the number of patients awake 2 hours after drug administration was lower. There were no differences between any groups in next-morning somnolence or ability to concentrate. Both drugs were well tolerated, with adverse event incidence rates nearly identical to placebo.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In patients suffering from transient insomnia, a single dose of zolpidem 10 mg was as effective as triazolam 0.25 mg, and both were more effective than placebo and were well tolerated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Morgan
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chapados
authors.forename: F F
authors.initials: FF
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gauthier
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Knox
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Le Lorier
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000009:adverse effects; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011229:Preanesthetic Medication; D011725:Pyridines / Q000009:adverse effects; D012890:Sleep / Q000187:drug effects; D014229:Triazolam / Q000009:adverse effects; D000077334:Zolpidem
chemical_list: D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D011725:Pyridines; D014229:Triazolam; D000077334:Zolpidem