Prevalence of polypharmacy and drug interactions in geria...

연구 요약

Prevalence of polypharmacy and drug interactions in geriatric patients: A cross-sectional study from India.

PloS one 학술지에 발표된 이 연구는 Khaiser UF, Sultana R, Das R 외 연구팀이 수행하였습니다.

핵심 내용

BACKGROUND: Polypharmacy and potential drug-drug interactions (pDDIs) are major challenges in the management of elderly patients with multiple comorbidities, often leading to adverse drug events and increased healthcare burden. AIM: This study aimed to determine the prevalence and patterns of polypharmacy and pDDIs among elderly patients attending Yenepoya Medical College and Hospital, Mangalore, India. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted from January to June 2023 among 310 elderly patients (aged ≥60 years) selected through simple random sampling from both in-patient and out-patient departments. Polypharmacy was defined as the concurrent use of ≥5 medications, and excessive polypharmacy as ≥9 medications. Drug interaction screening was performed using UpToDate and Medscape interaction checker tools. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, t-tests, chi-square tests, and regression analysis, with significance set at p < 0.05. RESULTS: The prevalence of polypharmacy was slightly higher in females (53.84%) than males (51.94%), with the highest rates observed in the 70-79 age group (48.88%). Most patients experienced moderate (50%) drug interactions. A significant gender difference was observed in the number of drugs prescribed at treatment (p = 0.0032), but not at discharge. Regression analysis identified gender (p = 0.018) and inpatient status (p < 0.001) as significant predictors of polypharmacy, while age was not (p = 0.719).

일반인을 위한 해석

이 연구는 약물 또는 영양제의 안전한 사용에 관한 과학적 근거를 제공할 수 있습니다. 다만, 개별 연구 결과만으로 일반화하기는 어려우며, 추가적인 연구가 필요할 수 있습니다.

실천 사항

• 현재 복용 중인 약물이나 영양제에 대해 궁금한 점이 있다면 담당 의사 또는 약사와 상담하시기 바랍니다
• 약물이나 영양제의 용법·용량을 임의로 변경하지 마세요
• 이상 반응이 나타나면 즉시 전문가에게 문의하세요

의사/약사의 전문적 판단을 대체하지 않습니다 (PMID: 41671262)