title: Polypharmacy--we make it worse! A cross-sectional study from an acute admissions unit.
abstract: Although polypharmacy is a major problem in the elderly, very few data have been published from Australasia. We retrospectively audited 68% of elderly patients admitted acutely to our medical unit (n= 424, mean age 80.3 ± 8 years) during a 30-day period (September, 2008). We found that long-term medications increased during hospital stay from 6.6 ± 4 to 7.7 ± 4 (P < 0.001). Adverse drug reactions were responsible for 24 admissions (5.7%). Polypharmacy is made worse by acute admission to hospital.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Medicine, Christchurch Hospital, Christchurch, New Zealand.
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Betteridge
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Frampton
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Jardine
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000639:trends*; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000008:administration & dosage; D019338:Polypharmacy
chemical_list: D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations