App Icoon
Association psychotropics and falling in nursing home
Association between psychotropic drug prescription and falling in nursing home residents
De abstractcommissie heeft op verzoek van de congrescommissie negen abstracts geselecteerd die tijdens het Verenso najaarscongres 'Start & Stop' op 26 november 2015 middels een flitspresentatie gepresenteerd worden. Onderstaande abstract is daar een van.
Background
Falling is a common problem in the elderly1-3 and it seems to be the major cause of death by an accident in this population.4 Previous studies suggest that the use of psychotropic drugs increase the risk of falling.5-10 However, the contribution of these drugs on fall risk has not been quantified among the population of nursing homes until now.
Objective
The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between fall incidence and the prescription of psychotropic drugs among nursing home residents.
Methods
In this retrospective study we retrieved data about the fall incidence and the prescription of antipsychotics, antidepressants and benzodiazepines for each resident and for each day over a 2-year period. Patients were included if they lived in one of the nursing homes of the Vitalis WoonZorg Groep (VWZG) in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. Generalized Estimating Equations was used to analyze the relationship between psychotropic drug prescription and falling.
Results
A total of 2368 nursing home resident were included, which resulted in a dataset of 538575 person-days. Fall risk was slightly increased with age (OR 1.03; 95% CI 1.01-1.04) and males had 87 % higher fall risk than females (OR 1.87; 95% CI 1.35-2.95 ). The prescription of a psychotropic drug on a scheduled basis showed an almost threefold increase in fall risk (OR 2.88; 95% CI 1.52 tot 5.44). Prescription of a psychotropic drug on an only as-needed basis showed a twofold increase in fall risk (OR 2.09; 95% CI 0.99-4.41).
Conclusions
The prescription of psychotropic drugs is associated with a strongly increased risk of falling among nursing home residents. Even psychotropic drugs prescribed only on an as-needed basis are associated with a twofold increased risk to fall.
Auteur(s)
- Drs. J.C.G.H. van der Stegen, elderly care physician, clinical pharmacologist i.t., Vitalis Behandelgroep Eindhoven
Co-auteurs
- C.A. Cox, Medical Student, Maastricht University, the Netherlands, currently Department of Geriatrics, Catharina Hospital, Eindhoven, the Netherlands
- H.J. van Jaarsveld, Medical Student, Maastricht University, the Netherlands, currently Department of Geriatrics, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- A.T.M. Wasylewicz, Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Catharina Hospital, Eindhoven, the Netherlands
- R.J.E. Grouls, Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Catharina Hospital, Eindhoven, the Netherlands
- C.M.J. van der Linden, Department of Geriatrics, Catharina Hospital, Eindhoven, the Netherlands
Literatuur
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