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Acid suppression in the elderly
Author(s) -
Manoharan Thenmozhi,
Dārzi?š Pēteris
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
australasian journal on ageing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.63
H-Index - 34
eISSN - 1741-6612
pISSN - 1440-6381
DOI - 10.1111/j.1741-6612.2006.00174.x
Subject(s) - medicine , medical record , medical prescription , retrospective cohort study , proton pump inhibitor , hospital discharge , pharmacy , pediatrics , emergency medicine , pharmacology , family medicine
Objective: To determine the proportion of older inpatients in whom acid suppression with proton pump inhibitors (PPI) and histamine antagonists (H2A) are clearly justified.Methods: A retrospective review of the records of 100 inpatients aged 80 years or older discharged from a public hospital or its associated private hospital who were prescribed PPI or H2A on discharge. Evidence that acid suppression was indicated was sought via review of inpatient medical records and of hospital pharmacy records.Results: On discharge, PPIs were prescribed for 90 patients and 10 received H2A. In 52 patients, the prescriptions were clearly justified. In 34 patients, acid suppression was possibly justified and in 14 cases, justification for acid suppression therapy could not be found.Conclusions: Approximately a half of all acid suppression therapy in older people discharged from hospital did not have a clear indication documented and may not be justified.