Anticonvulsant use in elderly patients in long-term care units.
dc.contributor.author | Timmons, S | |
dc.contributor.author | McCarthy, F | |
dc.contributor.author | Duggan, J | |
dc.contributor.author | Twomey, C | |
dc.date.accessioned | 2012-02-03T15:09:12Z | |
dc.date.available | 2012-02-03T15:09:12Z | |
dc.date.issued | 2012-02-03T15:09:12Z | |
dc.identifier.citation | Ir J Med Sci. 2003 Apr-Jun;172(2):66-8. | en_GB |
dc.identifier.issn | 0021-1265 (Print) | en_GB |
dc.identifier.issn | 0021-1265 (Linking) | en_GB |
dc.identifier.pmid | 12930055 | en_GB |
dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10147/208986 | |
dc.description.abstract | BACKGROUND: Elderly patients in long-term care units are frailer than their community-dwelling peers and may be more at risk from toxic side-effects of anticonvulsant medication at standard doses. AIM: To examine the prescribing of anticonvulsants to patients in elderly care units. METHODS: Drug prescription sheets and case notes were reviewed. Serum anticonvulsant concentration, renal and liver profiles and albumin level were measured. RESULTS: Anticonvulsants were prescribed to twice as many male as female patients (32 vs 14%; p<0.03) and to 33% of those younger than 80 years of age versus 10% of those aged 80 years or older (p<0.0002). No patient had significant hypoalbuminaemia and routine measurement of serum anticonvulsant concentration did not indicate an alteration of dosage. CONCLUSIONS: Anticonvulsants appear to be well tolerated in these patients. The younger age of those receiving anticonvulsants is inadequately explained by the characteristics of the patient cohort and may reflect a shift towards a younger age in patients requiring anticonvulsants due to increased mortality in this group. | |
dc.language.iso | eng | en_GB |
dc.subject.mesh | Aged | en_GB |
dc.subject.mesh | Aged, 80 and over | en_GB |
dc.subject.mesh | Anticonvulsants/*therapeutic use | en_GB |
dc.subject.mesh | Drug Interactions | en_GB |
dc.subject.mesh | Drug Utilization/statistics & numerical data | en_GB |
dc.subject.mesh | Female | en_GB |
dc.subject.mesh | *Health Services for the Aged | en_GB |
dc.subject.mesh | Humans | en_GB |
dc.subject.mesh | Long-Term Care | en_GB |
dc.subject.mesh | Male | en_GB |
dc.title | Anticonvulsant use in elderly patients in long-term care units. | en_GB |
dc.contributor.department | Department of Geriatric Medicine, Cork University Hospital, Cork, Ireland., suzannetimmons@hotmail.com | en_GB |
dc.identifier.journal | Irish journal of medical science | en_GB |
dc.description.province | Munster | |
html.description.abstract | BACKGROUND: Elderly patients in long-term care units are frailer than their community-dwelling peers and may be more at risk from toxic side-effects of anticonvulsant medication at standard doses. AIM: To examine the prescribing of anticonvulsants to patients in elderly care units. METHODS: Drug prescription sheets and case notes were reviewed. Serum anticonvulsant concentration, renal and liver profiles and albumin level were measured. RESULTS: Anticonvulsants were prescribed to twice as many male as female patients (32 vs 14%; p<0.03) and to 33% of those younger than 80 years of age versus 10% of those aged 80 years or older (p<0.0002). No patient had significant hypoalbuminaemia and routine measurement of serum anticonvulsant concentration did not indicate an alteration of dosage. CONCLUSIONS: Anticonvulsants appear to be well tolerated in these patients. The younger age of those receiving anticonvulsants is inadequately explained by the characteristics of the patient cohort and may reflect a shift towards a younger age in patients requiring anticonvulsants due to increased mortality in this group. |