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Medication usage in a spinal cord injured population
1Curtin University of Technology, Perth, Australia.
Spinal Cord
|April 29, 1998
Summary
Individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) use an average of eight medications, exceeding elderly populations. Polypharmacy is common, with potential for increased medication use over time.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacology
- Neurology
- Rehabilitation Medicine
Background:
- Spinal cord injury (SCI) affects medication management.
- Elderly populations are considered high-risk for medication misadventure.
- Limited data exists on medication patterns in SCI populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate medication usage patterns in individuals with SCI.
- To quantify the extent of polypharmacy in this population.
- To compare medication use in SCI patients to other at-risk groups.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of medication records in a residential facility.
- Calculation of average number of medications per person.
- Analysis of medication distribution across therapeutic categories.
Main Results:
- SCI individuals averaged over eight medications per person.
- 70% of medications were from five main therapeutic categories.
- Medication use in SCI patients exceeded that of elderly populations.
Conclusions:
- The SCI population exhibits high levels of polypharmacy.
- This high medication burden occurs despite a predominantly young demographic.
- Medication use is expected to increase as SCI patients age or develop comorbidities.