Contribution of drug related problems to hospital admission in the elderly.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the frequency and type of drug related problems (DRPs) in geriatric patients (> 65 years), and to assess their contribution to hospital admission; to explore the appropriateness of drug therapy according to the Beers' criteria.


METHODS
Cross-sectional observational survey of 110 elderly patients admitted during three non-consecutive months to the geriatric ward of a university hospital. Explorative assessment of appropriateness of drug therapy prior to hospital admission based on the Beers' criteria.


RESULTS
A DRP was the dominant reason for hospital admission in 14 out of the 110 patients (12.7%); for another 9 patients (8.2%), a DRP was partly contributing to hospital admission. For these 23 patients, adverse drug reactions and noncompliance were the most important types of DRPs. We found no relationship between drug related hospital admission and intake of a drug listed in the Beers criteria for inappropriate drug use in the elderly. Patients admitted for a DRP took more drugs before admission than patients admitted because of other reasons.


CONCLUSIONS
DRPs are an important cause for admission on the geriatric ward of our hospital. The drugs causing DRPs in this study were not those listed in the Beers list of inappropriate drugs in the elderly.
Somers
A
A
Department of Pharmacy, Ghent University Hospital, De Pintelaan 185, 9000 Gent, Belgium. annemie.somers@uzgent.be
Robays
H
H
Vander Stichele
R
R
Van Maele
G
G
Bogaert
M
M
Petrovic
M
M
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004363:Drug Utilization; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006757:Hospital Units; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008508:Medication Errors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010349:Patient Compliance; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000008:administration & dosage
D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations