Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
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Using available literature, our aim was to design a firearm safety counseling protocol tool for dementia patients. ⋯ Providing standardized and effective clinical guidelines to healthcare providers who interact with firearm-owning PWD can act as a means to reduce firearm injury and violence. The protocol proposed in this article needs further testing and validation to determine if it will help reduce firearm-related events in PWD.
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Review
Use of Fall Risk-Increasing Drugs Around a Fall-Related Injury in Older Adults: A Systematic Review.
To examine: (1) prevalence of fall risk-increasing drug (FRID) use among older adults with a fall-related injury, (2) which FRIDs were most frequently prescribed, (3) whether FRID use was reduced following the fall-related healthcare episode, and (4) which interventions have reduced falls or FRID use in older adults with a history of falls. ⋯ Limited evidence indicates high prevalence of FRID use among older adults who have experienced a fall-related injury and no reduction in overall FRID use following the fall-related healthcare encounter. There is a need for well-designed interventions to reduce FRID use and falls in older adults with a history of falls. Reducing FRID use as a stand-alone intervention may not be effective in reducing recurrent falls. J Am Geriatr Soc 68:1334-1343, 2020.
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Review
Use of Fall Risk-Increasing Drugs Around a Fall-Related Injury in Older Adults: A Systematic Review.
To examine: (1) prevalence of fall risk-increasing drug (FRID) use among older adults with a fall-related injury, (2) which FRIDs were most frequently prescribed, (3) whether FRID use was reduced following the fall-related healthcare episode, and (4) which interventions have reduced falls or FRID use in older adults with a history of falls. ⋯ Limited evidence indicates high prevalence of FRID use among older adults who have experienced a fall-related injury and no reduction in overall FRID use following the fall-related healthcare encounter. There is a need for well-designed interventions to reduce FRID use and falls in older adults with a history of falls. Reducing FRID use as a stand-alone intervention may not be effective in reducing recurrent falls. J Am Geriatr Soc 68:1334-1343, 2020.
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Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), a novel virus that causes COVID-19 infection, has recently emerged and caused a deadly pandemic. Studies have shown that this virus causes worse outcomes and a higher mortality rate in older adults and those with comorbidities such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, and chronic kidney disease (CKD). A significant percentage of older American adults have these diseases, putting them at a higher risk of infection. ⋯ Although it has been hypothesized that this may cause a further increased risk of infection, more studies on the role of these medications in COVID-19 infections are necessary. In this review, we discuss the transmission, symptomatology, and mortality of COVID-19 as they relate to older adults, and possible treatments that are currently under investigation. J Am Geriatr Soc 68:926-929, 2020.
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As originally defined, the term "prescribing cascade" describes a sequence of events that begins when an adverse drug event (ADE) occurs, is misinterpreted as a new medical condition, and a subsequent drug is then inadvertently prescribed to treat the new condition. We refine the definition to encompass both recognized and unrecognized ADEs because they can both contribute to problematic prescribing practices. In addition, we discuss that although prescribing cascades are most commonly viewed as problematic, they may be appropriate and therapeutically beneficial in certain clinical situations. ⋯ Practical considerations are also presented to aid clinicians in preventing the propagation of problematic prescribing cascades within their clinical practice. Providing new perspectives on the scope and appropriateness of the prescribing cascade concept is an important step in describing clinically relevant cascades and in encouraging safe prescribing practices. J Am Geriatr Soc 67:1023-1026, 2019.