The use of medications in older adults at the Santa Catalina Nursing Home in Guantánamo
Abstract
Introduction: one of the direct consequences of the aging of the population is the progressive increase in chronic diseases and, consequently, the excessive use of medications.
Objective: to characterize the use of medications in institutionalized older adults at the Santa Catalina Nursing Home in Guantánamo.
Methods: cross-sectional descriptive study on the use of medications, to all 48 patients residing in the institution. The information was obtained through interviews with the patients and the care staff of the institution and from the individual clinical histories. The variables studied were: age, sex, drugs used, adverse reactions and inappropriate prescriptions defined according to the STOPP/START criteria. Ethical principles were met.
Results: older adults of the male sex (77.08 %) and the age group of 70 to 79 years (47.92 %) predominated. Polypharmacy was present in the majority with the highest use of vitamins (95.80%) and antihypertensives (91.60 %); 89.60 % consumed several drugs per day. Among the inappropriate prescriptions, the use of diphenhydramine and benzodiazepines for a long time for insomnia predominated (25.00 %). The most frequent adverse reactions were those related to the central nervous system (25.00 %).
Conclusions: the evidence found on polypharmacy, inappropriate medication and adverse reactions in the elderly, constitute an alert about the modes of action of people linked to the care of the geriatric population.
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