Background: This is an update of the review published on 'Drug therapy for anxiety in adult palliative care patients' in Issue 1, 2004 of The Cochrane Library. Anxiety is common in palliative care patients. It can be a natural response to impending death, but it may represent a clinically significant issue in its own right. It may also result from pain, or other untreated or poorly managed symptoms. When anxiety is severe or distressing drug therapy may be considered in addition to supportive care.
Objectives: This review aimed to identify and evaluate randomised controlled trials examining the effectiveness of drug therapy for symptoms of anxiety in adult palliative care patients.
Search methods: We searched the following sources: CENTRAL (The Cochrane Library 2012, Issue 2), MEDLINE (1966 to 2012), EMBASE (1980 to 2012), CINAHL (1982 to 2012), PsycLit (1974 to 2000) and PsycInfo (1990 to 2012) for literature pertaining to this topic published in any language using a detailed search strategy.
Selection criteria: We sought prospective, randomised trials, with or without blinding, involving the use of drug therapy for the treatment of symptoms of anxiety in adult palliative care patients. Pharmacological agents included 5-HT3 receptor antagonists, anxiolytic agents, antiepileptic agents, antidepressive agents, antipsychotic agents, benzodiazepines, butyrophenones, phenothiazines, antihistamines, barbiturates, sedative hypnotics, antiepileptic drugs and beta-blockers.
Data collection and analysis: We identified and excluded six studies using the original search strategy, with a further two studies being identified and excluded for this 2012 update. We therefore identified a total of eight potential studies but none met the criteria for inclusion in this review.
Main results: No data were available to enable an assessment to be made of the effectiveness of drugs to treat symptoms of anxiety in palliative care patients.
Authors' conclusions: There remains insufficient evidence to draw a conclusion about the effectiveness of drug therapy for symptoms of anxiety in adult palliative care patients. To date no studies have been found that meet the inclusion criteria for this review. Prospective controlled clinical trials are required in order to establish the benefits and harms of drug therapy for the treatment of anxiety in palliative care.