Confusion due to benzodiazepine
A 75-year-old man is brought to the emergency room by his daughter. She states that over the past few days his cognitive abilities have
shown a marked decrease. He now appears disoriented. His medical history includes hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and atrial
fibrillation. His medications include simvastatin, quinapril, and warfarin. He has recently been complaining of difficulty sleeping and has
been started on a long-acting benzodiazepine, alprazolam.
1. How does addition of benzodiazepine cause disorientation?
2. What role might the patient’s age play in the metabolism of his medications?
3. How might the physician change the prescription to avoid these side effects
