Abstract

BLASCO PATINO, F. et al. Preliminary study of the drug consumption in hospitalized elders. An. Med. Interna (Madrid) [online]. 2004, vol.21, n.2, pp.25-27. ISSN 0212-7199.

Background: The absence of studies that evaluate the effect of the medical acts is an example of “mala praxis”. The irrational use of medications is one of these cases. This study shows the characteristics of the drugs comsuption in elders. Material and methods: We include 53 elders hospitalized between 1/02/02 and the 31/05/02. Results: The elders received an average of 6,45 medicaments/day. The factors of more consumption are the origin from nursing home residents and the number of previous surgeries. The adverse effects were related in 25% of the hospitalizations. Conclusions: The basis of this situation is in the loss of the global perspective of the patients and in the abuse of the sanitary resources. Each drug is the result of an isolated medical act, determining the appearance of iatrogenic disease

Keywords : Elderly; Iatrogenic disease; Health services abuse.

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