1. Adverse drug reaction risk factors in older outpatients.
- Author
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Hajjar, Emily R., Hanlon, Joseph T., Artz, Margaret B., Lindblad, Catherine I., Pieper, Carl F., Sloane, Richard J., Ruby, Christine M., and Schmader, Kenneth E.
- Subjects
DRUG side effects ,PHARMACODYNAMICS ,OUTPATIENT medical care ,DRUG utilization - Abstract
Background: Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are common in older (age ≥65 years) outpatients (prevalence, 5%–35%), but there is no consensus on factors that put these patients at high risk for ADRs. Identifying a uniform set of risk factors would be helpful to develop risk models for ADRs for older outpatients and to implement targeted interventions for those patients at high risk for ADRs.Objective: The aim of this study was to identify potential risk factors for ADRs in older outpatients through a survey of geriatric experts and to determine their prevalence.Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted to find published articles on ADRs in older patients. Forty-four potential risk factors were identified through the literature search and 6 additional factors were suggested by the expert panel. Through a modified 2-round survey, based on the Delphi consensus method, of an expert panel of 5 physicians and 5 pharmacists, the probability that each of these 50 potential factors could contribute independently to placing an older outpatient at high risk for an ADR was rated on a 5-point Likert scale. After the survey responses were received, means and 95% Cls were calculated. Consensus was defined as a lower 95% confidence limit ≥4.0. Potential risk factors that reached consensus were then applied to a sample of older outpatients to determine their prevalence.Results: After 2 rounds, the expert panel reached consensus on 21 factors, including 12 medication-related factors and 9 patient characteristics. The most prevalent medication-related risk factors were opioid analgesics; warfarin; non-acetylsalicylic acid, non-cyclooxygenase-2 nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; anticholinergics; and benzodiazepines. The most prevalent patient characteristics included polypharmacy, multiple chronic medical problems, prior ADR, and dementia.Conclusions: An expert panel was able to reach a consensus on potential risk factors that increase the risk for ADRs in older outpatients. Many risk factors were common in a sample of older outpatients. Future research is needed to determine the predictive validity of these risk factors for ADRs in older outpatients. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]
- Published
- 2003
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