Sleep medication use during ICU stay is strongly associated with continued prescription at hospital discharge in critically ill patients in Japan
Among 1,595,351 ICU patients, 30.8% received sleep medications during their ICU stay. Sleep medication use during ICU stay was strongly associated with sleep medication prescription at hospital discharge (odds ratio: 6.90; 95% CI: 6.59-7.23), with 47.0% of users versus 11.3% of nonusers receiving prescriptions at discharge.
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Sleep medication use during ICU stay is strongly associated with continued prescription at hospital discharge in critically ill patients in Japan The current body of evidence comprises 1 study. EvidenceHub rates the overall confidence at 34/100 (low).
The Claim
Sleep medication use during ICU stay is strongly associated with continued prescription at hospital discharge in critically ill patients in Japan
This conclusion is most relevant to: Adult patients who stayed in the ICU for more than 1 day in Japan (2012-2021).
What the Research Shows
The conclusion draws on 1 linked study. Highlights from the cited literature:
- ▸Prescription patterns of sleep medications for critically ill patients: A nationwide retrospective observational cohort study in Japan. (Australian critical care : official journal of the Confederation of Australian Critical Care Nurses, 2026) — Among 1,595,351 ICU patients, 30.8% received sleep medications during their ICU stay. Sleep medication use during ICU stay was strongly associated with sleep medication prescription at hospital discharge (odds ratio: 6.90; 95% CI: 6.59-7.23), with 47.0% of users versus 11.3% of nonusers receiving prescriptions at discharge.
How It Works
The proposed biological pathway:
- ▸Sleep medications are administered to ICU patients for sleep disturbance
- ▸These medications may be continued at discharge without systematic review
- ▸Lack of deprescribing protocols leads to unnecessary continuation
- ▸Result: Strong association between ICU use and discharge prescription
Who Might Benefit
Evidence fit by population:
- ▸Adult patients who stayed in the ICU for more than 1 day in Japan (2012-2021)
Recommended Dose
N/A
Limitations & Caveats
Important context when interpreting this evidence:
- ▸Retrospective observational design cannot establish causality
- ▸Database may not capture all confounders (e.g., severity of illness, non-pharmacological interventions)
Frequently Asked Questions
What percentage of ICU patients received sleep medications in this study?▼
30.8% of 1,595,351 ICU patients received sleep medications during their ICU stay.
Which sleep medications showed increased use over the study period?▼
Orexin receptor antagonists (OXs) increased from 0% to 18.0%, and melatonin receptor agonists (MLTs) increased from 1.3% to 10.7% from 2012 to 2020.
How strong is the association between ICU sleep medication use and discharge prescription?▼
The odds ratio was 6.90 (95% CI: 6.59-7.23), indicating a strong association.
What is the clinical implication of this finding?▼
The strong correlation highlights the need for careful medication review and deprescribing to prevent unnecessary continuation of sleep medications after ICU care.
References
- 1.Iwasaki Y, Ohbe H, Kaiho Y, Ikumi S, Yabuki S, Wagatsuma Y, Yamauchi M, Fushimi K, Yasunaga H. “Prescription patterns of sleep medications for critically ill patients: A nationwide retrospective observational cohort study in Japan..” Australian critical care : official journal of the Confederation of Australian Critical Care Nurses, 2026. PMID: 42492347 DOI: 10.1016/j.aucc.2026.101648