Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 19, 2026
12:18
A Machine Learning Approach to Design an Efficient Selective Screening of Mild Cognitive Impairment
Published on: January 11, 2020
[Implementation and results of a geriatric medication database].
K-G Gaßmann1, T Tümena, S Schlee
1Geriatrie-Zentrum Erlangen, Waldkrankenhaus St. Marien, Rathsberger Str. 57, 91054, Erlangen, Deutschland. Karl.gassmann@waldkrankenhaus.de
Zeitschrift Fur Gerontologie Und Geriatrie
|August 24, 2012
Summary
Geriatric patients, averaging 81.1 years, took 8.0 medications at discharge, with cardiovascular and nervous system drugs being most common. Female patients, particularly those aged 71-90, received significantly more prescriptions.
Area of Science:
- Geriatric Medicine
- Pharmacology
- Health Services Research
Background:
- Drug therapy in geriatric units is a critical area for patient safety and outcomes.
- Understanding medication patterns in older adults is essential for optimizing care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate drug therapy patterns in geriatric units.
- To analyze medication data from a large cohort of geriatric patients.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the geriatrics in Bavaria database (GiB-DAT) for discharge medication data.
- Evaluated 88,840 data sets from geriatric rehabilitation and acute units.
- Classified medications using the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) system.
Main Results:
- Patients (mean age 81.1 years, 67.7% female) had an average of 10.4 diagnoses and 8.0 drugs at discharge.
- Peak drug prescription occurred between 60-70 years, decreasing thereafter.
- Female patients, especially those 71-90 years old, received significantly more medications.
- Most prescribed drugs targeted the Cardiovascular system (89.9%), Nervous system (82.3%), and Alimentary tract and metabolism (78%).
Conclusions:
- Polypharmacy is prevalent in geriatric patients, with specific drug classes dominating.
- Gender influences medication burden in older female patients.
- Findings highlight the need for careful medication management in geriatric populations.
Related Concept Videos
01:15Drug 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...
01:27Pharmacodynamics 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...
01:18Pharmacokinetics 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...
01:18Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Metabolism
Geriatric patients show significant variation in how their bodies process medications, which can change how effective and safe treatments are. The liver is the primary organ where drug metabolism occurs, involving two main types of chemical reactions: phase I and II. Phase I metabolism is driven by the cytochrome P450 enzyme system, which includes key types such as CYP3A, CYP2D6, and CYP2C9. Research indicates that while aging doesn't notably alter the levels or activity of these enzymes, it...
01:00Pharmacokinetics 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...
01:22Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Absorption
As individuals age, their body's physiology evolves, affecting drug pharmacokinetics. The most apparent changes occur in the gastrointestinal tract, where an increase in gastric pH, a delay in gastric emptying, and a reduction in gastrointestinal motility are observed. Remarkably, these changes do not substantially modify the absorption of orally administered drugs, particularly those absorbed via passive diffusion.Transdermal drug delivery emerges as a highly viable method for older adults due...