Initiation of Pharmacotherapy as a Risk Factor of Falling in Older Patients

AbstractThe paper presents literary and original data on the problems of falling for elderly patients. The relationship between the occurrence of a fall and the initiation of drug therapy with a known negative effect on the risk of falling is considered. Data on the frequency and structure of falls by patients with cardiovascular diseases over the age of 75 who received treatment at a multidisciplinary hospital are presented. The data analysis showed a tendency of fall prevalence: a fall was observed in 33.8% of patients in the first 5 days of the hospital stay. This may be associated with a high drug burden and the prescription of new drugs to the patient. The study noted that the therapy was chosen on the first day. Additional drugs were often prescribed, which led to the polypharmacy state. Analysis of individual groups of drugs allowed reliable confirmation of the relationship between the prescription of drugs that increase the fall risk and occurrence in relation to the ophthalmic form of β-blockers (p = 0.04). Polypharmacy as a risk factor of falling in gerontological patients, which was described in the scientific literature, also confirmed the negative effect in our study. Thus, patients who are newly administered drugs known to have negative effect on fall development can be attributed to the risk group for falling.

Source: Advances in Gerontology - June 30, 2020 Category: Geriatrics Source Type: research