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Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
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| Newer psychotropic medication use in nursing home residents | | Author(s) | Robert A Lasser, Trey Sunderland |
| Journal title | Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, vol 46, no 2, February 1998 |
| Pages | pp 202-207 |
| Keywords | Drugs ; Mental disorder ; Dementia ; Residents [care homes] ; Nursing homes ; United States of America. |
| Annotation | The medical records of 298 patients (226 women and 72 men, mean age 81.9 years) referred to a geriatric psychiatric service from February 1995 to June 1996 were reviewed. Patient demographics, psychiatric history and medical diagnoses, prescribed medication information, and mental status examination results were recorded. Overall, 69% of subjects were taking at least one psychotropic medication. Although benzodiazepines (32%) and antipsychotics (42%) were used by a large proportion, antidepressants (61%) were the most commonly prescribed psychotropic, with 53% taking serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SRIs). The atypical antipsychotic, risperidone, accounted for more than 30% of antipsychotic prescriptions. Low rates of anticholinergic use and low doses and rates of tricyclic antidepressant (TCA) use were found in Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients. Mean dosing of the psychotropic agents fell within Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) guidelines. Newer generation psychotropics have had a significant impact on prescribing practices in treating nursing home residents. Of clinical importance is the high rate of antidepressant use in a population which has hitherto received inadequate pharmacotherapy for depression. (RH). |
| Accession Number | CPA-981117013 A |
| Classmark | LLD: E: EA: KX: LHB: 7T |
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing |
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| ...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing. |
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