Psychotropic Drugs and the Elderly Patient

Of 236 patients over the age of 65 years admitted to a regional psychogeriatric service, at least 37 (16%) presented disorders that were directly attributable to the ill-effects of psychoactive drugs. These effects varied from excessive sedation with confusion, disorientation and syncope, to disinhibition reactions with aggressive outbursts. Most of the patients were treated with combined medication. Attention is drawn to the mutually potentiating effect of simultaneously administered drugs, which is especially likely to occur in elderly subjects whose hepatic detoxifying enzyme systems may be considerably impaired.