Appendix 1. MEDLINE search strategy via OVID

1. exp dyspnea
2. dyspn$.mp.
3. breathing adj3 labour$
4. breathless$.mp.
5. shortness of breath.mp.
6. breathing difficult$.mp.
7. 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 or 6
8. exp benzodiazepines
9. benzodiazepine$.mp.
10. adinazolam or alprazolam or bentazepam or bromazepam or brotizolam or chlordiazepoxide or cinolazepam or clobazam or clonazepam or clorazepate or clotiazepam or cloxazolam or delorazepam or demoxepam or desmethyldiazepam or diazepam or estazolam or etizolam or etozolam or fludiazepam or flunitrazepam or flurazepam or flutoprazepam or halazepam or haloxazolam or ketazolam or loprazolam or lorazepam or lormetazepam or medazepam or metaclazepam or mexazolam or midazolam or nimetazepam or nitrazepam or nordazepam or oxazepam or oxazolam or pinazepam or prazepam or quazepam or temazepam or tetrazepam or tofisopam or triazolam
11. 8 or 9 or 10
12. 7 AND 11

Appendix 2. EMBASE search strategy via OVID

1. exp DYSPNEA
2. dyspn$.mp.
3. breathing adj3 labour$
4. breathless$.mp.
5. shortness of breath.mp.
6. breathing difficult$.mp.
7. 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 or 6
8. exp Benzodiazepine Derivative
9. benzodiazepine$.mp.
10. adinazolam or alprazolam or bentazepam or bromazepam or brotizolam or chlordiazepoxide or cinolazepam or clobazam or clonazepam or clorazepate or clotiazepam or cloxazolam or delorazepam or demoxepam or desmethyldiazepam or diazepam or estazolam or etizolam or etozolam or fludiazepam or flunitrazepam or flurazepam or flutoprazepam or halazepam or haloxazolam or ketazolam or loprazolam or lorazepam or lormetazepam or medazepam or metaclazepam or mexazolam or midazolam or nimetazepam or nitrazepam or nordazepam or oxazepam or oxazolam or pinazepam or prazepam or quazepam or temazepam or tetrazepam or tofisopam or triazolam
11. 8 or 9 or 10
12. 7 AND 11

Appendix 3. CINAHL search strategy via OVID

1. MH “dyspnea+”
2. dyspn*
3. breathing N3 labour*
4. breathless*
5. shortness of breath
6. breathing difficult*
7. 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 or 6
8. MH “Anxiety Agents, Benzodiazepine+”
9. benzodiazepine
10. adinazolam or alprazolam or bentazepam or bromazepam or brotizolam or chlordiazepoxide or cinolazepam or clobazam or clonazepam or clorazepate or clotiazepam or cloxazolam or delorazepam or demoxepam or desmethyldiazepam or diazepam or estazolam or etizolam or etozolam or fludiazepam or flunitrazepam or flurazepam or flutoprazepam or halazepam or haloxazolam or ketazolam or loprazolam or lorazepam or lormetazepam or medazepam or metaclazepam or mexazolam or midazolam or nimetazepam or nitrazepam or nordazepam or oxazepam or oxazolam or pinazepam or prazepam or quazepam or temazepam or tetrazepam or tofisopam or triazolam
11. 8 or 9 or 10
12. 7 AND 11

Appendix 4. PsychINFO search strategy via OVID

1. exp DYSPNEA
2. dyspn$.mp.
3. breathing adj3 labour$
4. breathless$.mp.
5. shortness of breath.mp.
6. breathing difficult$.mp.
7. 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 or 6
8. exp BENZODIAZEPINES
9. benzodiazepine$.mp.
10. adinazolam or alprazolam or bentazepam or bromazepam or brotizolam or chlordiazepoxide or cinolazepam or clobazam or clonazepam or clorazepate or clotiazepam or cloxazolam or delorazepam or demoxepam or desmethyldiazepam or diazepam or estazolam or etizolam or etozolam or fludiazepam or flunitrazepam or flurazepam or flutoprazepam or halazepam or haloxazolam or ketazolam or loprazolam or lorazepam or lormetazepam or medazepam or metaclazepam or mexazolam or midazolam or nimetazepam or nitrazepam or nordazepam or oxazepam or oxazolam or pinazepam or prazepam or quazepam or temazepam or tetrazepam or tofisopam or triazolam
11. 8 or 9 or 10
12. 7 AND 11

Appendix 5. Cochrane Library search strategy

#1 MeSH descriptor Dyspnea explode all trees
#2 dyspn*
#3 breathing adj3 labour*
#4 breathless*
#5 shortness of breath
#6 breathing difficult*
#7 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 or 6
#8 exp benzodiazepines
#9 benzodiazepine*
#10 adinazolam or alprazolam or bentazepam or bromazepam or brotizolam or chlordiazepoxide or cinolazepam or clobazam or clonazepam or clorazepate or clotiazepam or cloxazolam or delorazepam or demoxepam or desmethyldiazepam or diazepam or estazolam or etizolam or etozolam or fludiazepam or flunitrazepam or flurazepam or flutoprazepam or halazepam or haloxazolam or ketazolam or loprazolam or lorazepam or lormetazepam or medazepam or metaclazepam or mexazolam or midazolam or nimetazepam or nitrazepam or nordazepam or oxazepam or oxazolam or pinazepam or prazepam or quazepam or temazepam or tetrazepam or tofisopam or triazolam
#11 8 or 9 or 10
#12 7 AND 11

Appendix 6. PaPaS Register search strategy

((dyspn* or (breathing AND (laboured or labored)) or breathless* or "shortness of breath" or "breathing difficult*") AND (benzodiazepines or adinazolam or alprazolam or bentazepam or bromazepam or brotizolam or chlordiazepoxide or cinolazepam or clobazam or clonazepam or clorazepate or clotiazepam or cloxazolam or delorazepam or demoxepam or desmethyldiazepam or diazepam or estazolam or etizolam or etozolam or fludiazepam or flunitrazepam or flurazepam or flutoprazepam or halazepam or haloxazolam or ketazolam or loprazolam or lorazepam or lormetazepam or medazepam or metaclazepam or mexazolam or midazolam or nimetazepam or nitrazepam or nordazepam or oxazepam or oxazolam or pinazepam or prazepam or quazepam or temazepam or tetrazepam or tofisopam or triazolam))

Appendix 7. Search strategy for Cochrane DSR, ACP Journal Club, DARE, CCTR, CMR, HTA, and NHSEED via OVID

1. dyspn$.mp.
2. breathing adj3 labour$
3. breathless$.mp.
4. shortness of breath.mp.
5. breathing difficult$.mp.
6. 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 or 5
7. benzodiazepine$.mp.
8. adinazolam or alprazolam or bentazepam or bromazepam or brotizolam or chlordiazepoxide or cinolazepam or clobazam or clonazepam or clorazepate or clotiazepam or cloxazolam or delorazepam or demoxepam or desmethyldiazepam or diazepam or estazolam or etizolam or etozolam or fludiazepam or flunitrazepam or flurazepam or flutoprazepam or halazepam or haloxazolam or ketazolam or loprazolam or lorazepam or lormetazepam or medazepam or metaclazepam or mexazolam or midazolam or nimetazepam or nitrazepam or nordazepam or oxazepam or oxazolam or pinazepam or prazepam or quazepam or temazepam or tetrazepam or tofisopam or triazolam

9. 7 or 8
10. 6 AND 9

Appendix 8. Search strategy for Iowa Drug Information System (IDIS) and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts

((benzodiazepines or tetrazepam or diazepam or oxatepam or lorazepam or lormetazepam or clotiazepam or pinazepam or uldazepam or quazepam or temazepam or metaclazepam nordazepam or fludiazepam or flunitrazepam or halazepam or clonazepam or nitrazepam or zolazepam or flurazepam or flutoprazepam or prazepam or clazepam or meclonazepam or fosazepam or midazolam or medazepam or clotiazepam or doxefazepam or premazepam or camazepam or ritazepam or delorazepam or bentazepam or bromazepam) AND ((abnormality, resp & dyspnea) or (apnea, unspecified)))