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Volume 3 Issue 241 Published - 14:00 UTC 08:00 EST 3-Dec-2001 Next Update - 14:00 UTC 08:00 EST 4-Dec-2001
| Editor: Susan K. Boyer, RN © RAmEx Ars Medica, Inc. All rights reserved. |
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 Adverse Drug Reactions In Elderly Seen Often In Emergency Departments
A study finds emergency departments are often the best place to identify adverse drug reactions and potential drug interactions among the elderly. Canadian researchers found that about 10 percent of 283 emergency department visits of people 65 years and older were directly related to an adverse drug reaction and 30 percent of the patients had potential adverse drug interactions. (Polypharmacy, Adverse Drug-Related Events, and Potential Adverse Drug Interactions in Elderly Patients Presenting to the Emergency Department) "Our study uncovers the tip of the iceberg," said Corinne Hohl, MD, of the Sir Mortimer B. Davis-Jewish General Hospital in Montreal. "Given the alarming rate of adverse drug reactions among the elderly patient population who presented in our emergency department, we recommend that emergency departments systematically screen medication regimens for drug-related problems, particularly those of incoming high-risk patients." Adverse drug reactions are a challenging and expensive public health problem. They account for up to 23 percent of hospital admissions, prolonged hospital stays, additional health problems, and in some cases death. The five most frequently found potential adverse drug interactions noted in the study involved the following medications: * Furosemide and digoxin potentially leading to electrolyte disturbances and arrhythmia, * Salicylic acid interfering with the antihypertensive effect of beta-blockers by inhibiting renal prostaglandins, * Salicylic acid decreasing insulin requirements; * Enalapril and potassium supplements predisposing electrolyte imbalances and arrhythmia, and * Acetaminophen increasing the anticoagulant effect of warfarin. Fifty percent of patients who came to the emergency department with adverse drug reactions also had at least one potential adverse drug interaction found from an examination of their medication lists. |
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