Assessment of postoperative outcomes of prescription benzodiazepine use in lung transplant recipients.

Background: The use of prescribed benzodiazepine (BZD) has been associated with adverse outcomes, including morbidity and mortality, in certain groups of solid organ transplant recipients. However, its impact on outcomes in lung transplant patients has not been well established. This retrospective study explores the survival rates and mortality risk factors in lung transplant recipients with preoperative BZD prescriptions. Methods: This study included an institutional lung transplant database between January 2018 and May 2024. Data were collected on patient characteristics, pretransplant laboratory values, and postoperative outcomes, including rejection and survival. Chi-squared, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), Kruskal-Wallis, Kaplan-Meier, and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were used for analysis. Results: During the study period, 399 patients underwent lung transplantation. BZD use within 30 days prior to lung transplantation was reported in 141 patients (35.3%): 35 of 141 (24.8%) had BZD ≥2 mg (high-BZD) and 106 of 141 (75.2%) had BZD <2 mg (low-BZD). The high-BZD cohort had younger patients [mean: 47.8±13.5 Conclusions: This study highlights that preoperative BZD ≥2 mg use in lung transplant patients could be attributed to a higher rate of PGD grade 3 and prolonged hospital stay after lung transplantation. Appropriate weaning of BZD may be needed to minimize the risk of prolonged ICU stay and morbidity.