Authors

Arancha García Loma

Position

Enfermera

Contact address

Avda. David Lario, 3, 1º C. 44200 Calamocha (Teruel).

Contact email: a.garcia_90@hotmail.com

Abstract

Objective: to analyze the pharmacological treatments of polymedicated elderly patients in the Residencia Javalambre in Teruel. 

Materials and method: transversal descriptive study conducted on a randomized sample of one hundred patients over 65-year-old, selected through random sampling, and including 55 women and 45 men, with an average 85 years of age; out of these, 79% required assistance while 21% were self-sufficient. The study variables were: age, gender, and pharmacological treatments received by each one of the subjects. 

Results: a 73% of the subjects took more than five drugs per day. The most frequent were proton pump inhibitors, followed by antithrombin drugs and antidepressants. A 4.23% of those drugs analyzed had no proven efficacy, and the main drugs contraindicated were sedatives, due to the treatment duration over four weeks. Each patient spent an average 2.14 € per day.  

Conclusions: polymedication, or using more than five different drugs per day, is one of the main problems among the elderly population; and the inadequate prescription of medication to elderly patients increases the risk of adverse reactions, as well as representing very significant costs for the healthcare system. It is essential that the physician and the nurse work together in order to control polymedication and conduct, between them all, a pharmaceutical control to prevent health problems in the patient and a waste of healthcare resources. 

Keywords:

García Loma A Análisis farmacológico relacionado con ancianos polimedicados institucionalizados Metas Enferm abr 201417(3): 50-56

Versión en Español

Título:

Análisis farmacológico relacionado con ancianos polimedicados institucionalizados