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Polypharmacy--we make it worse! A cross-sectional study from an acute admissions unit.
Intern Med J. 2012 Feb;42(2):208-11
Authors: Betteridge TM, Frampton CM, Jardine DL
Abstract
Although polypharmacy is a major problem in the elderly, very few data have been published from Australasia. We retrospectively audited 68% of elderly patients admitted acutely to our medical unit (n= 424, mean age 80.3 ± 8 years) during a 30-day period (September, 2008). We found that long-term medications increased during hospital stay from 6.6 ± 4 to 7.7 ± 4 (P < 0.001). Adverse drug reactions were responsible for 24 admissions (5.7%). Polypharmacy is made worse by acute admission to hospital.
PMID: 22356496 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]