2013, Number 1
Inappropriate Use of Psychotropic Drugs in People Aged 60 and over
Language: Spanish
References: 23
Page: 15-24
PDF size: 672.16 Kb.
ABSTRACT
Background: indiscriminate use of psychoactive medication can provoke multiple disorders to the elderly system. Furthermore, it can also result in drug abuse.Objective: to characterize the inappropriate use of psychotropic drugs in people aged 60 and over.
Methods: a descriptive, cross-sectional and prospective study was conducted in two consultations of Health Area # II in the municipality of Cienfuegos from June to December 2006. The sample consisted of 93 adults aged over 60. The variables analyzed were age, sex, educational level, prescribed medication and its application, symptoms leading to the indication, duration of the treatment according to the prescription, follow-up, therapeutic alternatives, tolerance and abstinence. We applied a functional assessment scale: the Lawton and Brody Scale. For the statistical processing, descriptive statistics tests were performed. For computational processing, a database was created in the SPSS 11.0 program for Windows.
Results: it is mostly women who consume these types of drugs. The most consumed psychoactive drugs were benzodiazepines and mainly through self-medication. Elderly presented tolerance and abstinence. There was a misuse of these drugs in relation to the time of consumption, prescription, follow-up and treatment options such as natural and traditional medicine.
Conclusions: high rates of medical prescription, failures in patient’s follow-up, self-medication and non-use of therapeutic alternatives are some of the many causes of the indiscriminate use of psychoactive drugs in people aged over 60.
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