Polypharmacy, Inappropriate Drugs and Drug Interactions in the Prescriptions of Patients Older Than 90 Years
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24950/rspmi.570Keywords:
Polypharmacy, Medication Errors, Drug Prescriptions, Drug Interactions;, Aged, 80 and overAbstract
Introduction: Considering the iatrogeny derived from polyphar- macy in the very old patient, we characterize its prevalence among the recommended home therapy for patients old than 90 years when they were discharged from the Internal Medi- cine ward.
Methods: We also focused on the identification of avoidable drugs according to 2015 Beers criteria and severe drug-drug interactions. Association analysis with correlation and logistic regression was performed with remaining factors.
Results: Of the 422 cases, 70.1% had polypharmacy. In 258 prescriptions (61.1%) there was at least one potentially inappropriate drug, mainly benzodiazepines. It was associa- ted with polypharmacy, dementia and prostatic hyperplasia. On 54 cases (12.8%) there was at least one potential severe drug-drug interaction. The most frequent was acetylsalicylic acid/dipyridamole.
Conclusion: Polypharmacy and cerebrovascular disease were the predictors. When defining the pharmacotherapy of the very old patient, doctors should consider these three problems.
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