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Importance of potentially inappropriate medications, number of chronic conditions and medications for the risk of hospitalisation in elderly in Sweden : A case-control study

Thorell, Kristine LU ; Midlöv, Patrik LU orcid ; Fastbom, Johan and Halling, Anders LU (2019) In BMJ Open 9(9).
Abstract

Objectives This study aimed to investigate the importance of potentially inappropriate medications, number of medications and chronic conditions for the risk of hospitalisation among an elderly population. Design This is a case-control study. Setting Population-based study in 2013 of all individuals aged 75 years and older (17 203) in the county of Blekinge in the southeast of Sweden. Participants A total of 2941 individuals were included who had at least one hospitalisation to a medical, geriatric and palliative, or orthopaedic ward during 2013. From this total, 81 were excluded because of incomplete data or absence of controls. In total, 5720 patients were included and formed 2860 risk sets matched on age and gender. Primary and... (More)

Objectives This study aimed to investigate the importance of potentially inappropriate medications, number of medications and chronic conditions for the risk of hospitalisation among an elderly population. Design This is a case-control study. Setting Population-based study in 2013 of all individuals aged 75 years and older (17 203) in the county of Blekinge in the southeast of Sweden. Participants A total of 2941 individuals were included who had at least one hospitalisation to a medical, geriatric and palliative, or orthopaedic ward during 2013. From this total, 81 were excluded because of incomplete data or absence of controls. In total, 5720 patients were included and formed 2860 risk sets matched on age and gender. Primary and secondary outcome measures Conditional logistic regression was used to analyse the odds for hospitalisation according to use of potentially inappropriate medication (PIM), number of chronic conditions and medicines using univariate and multivariate models. PIM was defined as long-acting benzodiazepines, tramadol, propiomazine and medicines with anticholinergic effect. Results The univariate analysis for use of PIM showed a significant association with hospitalisation (OR 1.54, 95% CI 1.30 to 1.83). For the number of chronic conditions, the OR was increased and was significant from two or more chronic conditions, and for the number of medicines from the use of five or more medicines, in the univariate analysis. Use of PIM has no association with hospitalisation in the full model. The number of chronic conditions and medicines in the full models continued to have strong associations for hospitalisation, from five to seven chronic conditions (OR 1.86, 95% CI 1.49 to 2.33) and use of five to nine medicines (OR 1.46, 95% CI 1.21 to 1.77) at the same time. Conclusion The number of chronic conditions and medications are important for the odds of hospitalisation, while the use of PIM, according to the definition used in this study, was no significant in the full model.

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author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
epidemiology, geriatric medicine, primary care, public health
in
BMJ Open
volume
9
issue
9
article number
e029477
publisher
BMJ Publishing Group
external identifiers
  • pmid:31562149
  • scopus:85072701451
ISSN
2044-6055
DOI
10.1136/bmjopen-2019-029477
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
ce008ead-66c5-46cb-9a3b-49c8ce49d2ad
date added to LUP
2019-10-10 09:39:56
date last changed
2024-08-07 07:34:51
@article{ce008ead-66c5-46cb-9a3b-49c8ce49d2ad,
  abstract     = {{<p>Objectives This study aimed to investigate the importance of potentially inappropriate medications, number of medications and chronic conditions for the risk of hospitalisation among an elderly population. Design This is a case-control study. Setting Population-based study in 2013 of all individuals aged 75 years and older (17 203) in the county of Blekinge in the southeast of Sweden. Participants A total of 2941 individuals were included who had at least one hospitalisation to a medical, geriatric and palliative, or orthopaedic ward during 2013. From this total, 81 were excluded because of incomplete data or absence of controls. In total, 5720 patients were included and formed 2860 risk sets matched on age and gender. Primary and secondary outcome measures Conditional logistic regression was used to analyse the odds for hospitalisation according to use of potentially inappropriate medication (PIM), number of chronic conditions and medicines using univariate and multivariate models. PIM was defined as long-acting benzodiazepines, tramadol, propiomazine and medicines with anticholinergic effect. Results The univariate analysis for use of PIM showed a significant association with hospitalisation (OR 1.54, 95% CI 1.30 to 1.83). For the number of chronic conditions, the OR was increased and was significant from two or more chronic conditions, and for the number of medicines from the use of five or more medicines, in the univariate analysis. Use of PIM has no association with hospitalisation in the full model. The number of chronic conditions and medicines in the full models continued to have strong associations for hospitalisation, from five to seven chronic conditions (OR 1.86, 95% CI 1.49 to 2.33) and use of five to nine medicines (OR 1.46, 95% CI 1.21 to 1.77) at the same time. Conclusion The number of chronic conditions and medications are important for the odds of hospitalisation, while the use of PIM, according to the definition used in this study, was no significant in the full model.</p>}},
  author       = {{Thorell, Kristine and Midlöv, Patrik and Fastbom, Johan and Halling, Anders}},
  issn         = {{2044-6055}},
  keywords     = {{epidemiology; geriatric medicine; primary care; public health}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{9}},
  publisher    = {{BMJ Publishing Group}},
  series       = {{BMJ Open}},
  title        = {{Importance of potentially inappropriate medications, number of chronic conditions and medications for the risk of hospitalisation in elderly in Sweden : A case-control study}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2019-029477}},
  doi          = {{10.1136/bmjopen-2019-029477}},
  volume       = {{9}},
  year         = {{2019}},
}