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Drug Dosing: Geriatric Patients

Drug Dosing: Geriatric Patients

Elderly individuals encompass a diverse population with varying degrees of age-related physiological changes. Defining the elderly presents challenges, as the geriatric population is often arbitrarily categorized as individuals older than 65. However, many individuals in this group lead active and healthy lives, with an increasing number surpassing 85 years and falling into the older elderly category. Physiological changes associated with aging impact performance capacity and homeostatic...

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Pharmacodynamics in Geriatric Patients: Effects of Age

Age-related pharmacokinetic changes are extensively documented, but understanding age-related pharmacodynamic alterations is relatively limited. This knowledge gap can be partly attributed to the complexity of developing appropriate measures of drug responses compared to bioanalytical methods for determining drug concentrations.Most information regarding age-related differences in human pharmacodynamics originates from cross-sectional studies. However, these studies assume that observed mean...

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Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Distribution

Drug distribution in the human body is influenced by several factors, including plasma protein concentration, body composition, blood flow, tissue-protein concentration, and tissue fluid pH. Among these, changes in plasma protein concentration and body composition due to aging significantly affect how drugs are distributed within the body. Specifically, aging is associated with a decrease in albumin levels by about 10% and an increase in α1-acid glycoprotein levels. These alterations are not...

Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Metabolism

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Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Absorption

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Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Excretion

In geriatric patients, renal physiology undergoes significant changes, including diminished renal blood flow and a lower glomerular filtration rate (GFR), leading to alterations in medication clearance. Drugs such as aminoglycoside antibiotics, lithium, and digoxin, which rely on glomerular filtration for removal from the body, particularly impact pharmacokinetics. These drugs tend to have slower clearance rates in older adults, necessitating careful dosage considerations.Evaluation of renal...

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Pharmacotherapy considerations in elderly adults.

James M Wooten¹

¹University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine, Kansas City, Missouri 64108-2792, USA. wootenj@umkc.edu

Southern Medical Journal

|August 7, 2012

Summary

Pharmacotherapy mishaps are common in older adults, increasing morbidity and mortality. Understanding pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and drug interactions is crucial for safe and effective medication plans in the elderly.

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Area of Science:

Gerontology
Clinical Pharmacy
Pharmacology

Background:

Life expectancy has increased significantly since 1900.
Pharmacotherapeutic options have also expanded.
However, medication errors (pharmacotherapy mishaps) are prevalent in older adults, leading to increased morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs.

Purpose of the Study:

To provide a comprehensive review of pharmacotherapy issues in the elderly.
To offer suggestions for improving pharmaceutical care in this population.

Main Methods:

Literature review on pharmacotherapy in older adults.
Analysis of factors influencing drug therapy in the elderly.

Main Results:

Older adults are particularly susceptible to adverse drug reactions and drug interactions.
Effective pharmacotherapy requires consideration of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics.
Current pharmacotherapy plans often fail to adequately address the complexities of aging.

Conclusions:

Healthcare practitioners must possess a thorough understanding of geriatric pharmacotherapy.
Implementing specific strategies can improve medication safety and efficacy for elderly patients.
Enhanced pharmaceutical care is essential to mitigate risks associated with medication use in older adults.