Key result
Potentially inappropriate medications, including anticholinergics, antihypertensives, analgesics, and psychotropics, pose significant risks of severe adverse reactions in older adults.
This continuing education review highlights the risks of potentially inappropriate medications in older adults to guide advanced practice acute care and critical care nurses.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Supports vigilance for adverse effects in older adults; leaves open optimal deprescribing protocols in critical care.
In the first part of this 2-part continuing education series, sources of medication errors were discussed. A predominant source of errors was the prescribing of potentially inappropriate medications for older adults. In this second part, drug classifications and drugs posing problems for older adults and cautions for advanced practice acute care and critical care nurses in their medication therapy management are highlighted. Cautions are advanced for anticholinergics, antihypertensives, analgesics, and psychotropics because of the severity of adverse reactions, including anticholinergic symptoms; mental status changes (especially confusion, sedation, delirium, and cognitive impairment); orthostatic hypotension; gastrointestinal tract problems (especially hemorrhage); depression; and neurobehavioral disturbances (agitation and aggressiveness). Risks of life-threatening outcomes associated with medications and adverse reactions are highlighted.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Catherine G. Ferrario (2008) conducted a review in Medication errors and potentially inappropriate medications in older adults. Potentially inappropriate medications (anticholinergics, antihypertensives, analgesics, psychotropics) was evaluated. Potentially inappropriate medications, including anticholinergics, antihypertensives, analgesics, and psychotropics, pose significant risks of severe adverse reactions in older adults.
Synapse has enriched 10 related papers. Consider them for comparative context: