Single Dose Every 6 Months

Angie SzumlinskiNews

Frail elderly people are at high risk of negative outcomes related to medications as their bodies do not process them as quickly as younger people. The risk to these elders includes toxicity, hypotension (low blood pressure), kidney failure, dehydration, etc. So why do we continue to give these medications? Simple, it is the standard of care, and in the event …

Antibiotics and Viruses

Angie SzumlinskiNews

They don’t play well together; however, physicians prescribe more unnecessary antibiotics during colder months than warmer months. One study found that between October and March (winter) more inappropriate prescriptions for antibiotics were written, 72.4% compared to 62% during April through September (summer). Why you ask? Well, there is likely more than one reason however, researchers found that decision fatigue could …

Gabapentin

Angie SzumlinskiNews

Many people call it the miracle drug, commonly prescribed to the elderly for diabetic neuropathy, but hold on! A recent study revealed that this medication can also affect the cardiovascular system. Gabapentin is widely used, and the common side effects seem pretty benign, somnolence and dizziness, but what about cardiac side effects? One observational study showed that gabapentin can be …

Anticholinergic Drugs and Dementia

Metformin and Dementia

Angie SzumlinskiNews

In a study published on medRxiv (not yet peer reviewed), researchers found that people with type 2 diabetes, over aged 50, and new users of Metformin, had about a 20% lower rate of dementia than patients taking Sulfonylureas (Glipizide, Glucotrol, etc.). The new users of Metformin also had about a 20% lower rate of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and vascular dementia. …

Maintaining Accurate Medication Lists

Angie SzumlinskiFeatured, Training

Accurate medication lists are difficult to maintain especially when a resident is admitted and discharged several times. It seems that each physician treating a patient has their own idea on what medications work best and which should be discontinued. At the end of the day, nurses are faced with the challenge of determining what is really current and what has …

Drive to Deprescribe (D2D)

Angie SzumlinskiHealth

The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine (AMDA) issued a press release on the issue of polypharmacy and the “Drive to Deprescribe” program. The goal of the program is to address the issue of polypharmacy and inappropriate medication use in our sector. Polypharmacy has and continues to be a long-standing concern as post-acute care has one of the highest …

Cancer Medication – Increased Risk for Falls

Angie SzumlinskiHealth, Studies

Bortezomib is a common multiple myeloma therapy that can cause treatment-related peripheral neuropathy, a risk factor for falls. The relationship between bortezomib and falls in older patients with multiple myeloma is unknown. In a recent study published in the Journal of Geriatric Oncology, in older adults with multiple myeloma, bortezomib was associated with an increased risk of having a diagnostic …

Deprescribing Medications Related to Falls

Angie SzumlinskiNews

High-risk medications pose serious safety risks to older adults, including increasing the risk of falls. Deprescribing potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) in older adults who have experienced a fall is a key element of fall reduction strategies. However, continued use of PIMs in older adults is common, and clinicians may face substantial deprescribing barriers. A study published on pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov was conducted …

Medication Harm – Preventable?

Angie SzumlinskiHealth, Studies

Mitigating or reducing the risk of medication harm is a global policy priority. But evidence reflecting preventable medication harm in medical care and the factors that derive this harm remain unknown. In a study published in BMC Medicine, the researchers aimed to quantify the prevalence, severity, and type of preventable medication harm across medical care settings. The study findings confirm …