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Serum Digoxin Levels in Elderly Nursing Home Patients: Appraisal of Routine Periodic Measurements
Author(s) -
DIMANT JACOB,
MERRIT WILLIAM
Publication year - 1978
Publication title -
journal of the american geriatrics society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.992
H-Index - 232
eISSN - 1532-5415
pISSN - 0002-8614
DOI - 10.1111/j.1532-5415.1978.tb03689.x
Subject(s) - medicine , digoxin , digitalis , nursing homes , serum electrolytes , intensive care medicine , cardiology , heart failure , nursing
An assessment was made of the clinical value of routine periodic measurement of serum digoxin levels in 51 elderly nursing home patients with cardiac disease. The findings showed that the serum digoxin level was not correlated with the dosage of digoxin nor the patient's clinical state of digitalization. All patients were effectively digitalized, as judged clinically, and no digitalis toxicity occurred despite a wide range of serum digoxin levels. When adequate medical supervision, electrocardiograms, roentgenograms, serum electrolyte determinations and renal function tests are available, the routine periodic measurement of serum digoxin concentration does not offer any additional benefit in the management of nursing home patients with cardiac disease.