1. Prescribing Benzodiazepines and Opioids and Clinical Characteristics Associated With 30-Day Hospital Return in Patients Aged ≥75 Years: Secondary Data Analysis
- Author
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Park, Juyoung, Engstrom, Gabriella, and Ouslander, Joseph G.
- Subjects
Opioids -- Comparative analysis ,Benzodiazepines -- Comparative analysis ,Antianxiety agents -- Comparative analysis ,Lung diseases, Obstructive -- Comparative analysis ,Prescription writing -- Comparative analysis ,Clinics -- Comparative analysis ,Hospital patients -- Comparative analysis ,Patient education -- Comparative analysis ,Health ,Seniors - Abstract
Purpose: The current study compared prevalence of opioid or benzodiazepine (BZD) prescription and co-prescription of opioids and BZD at discharge and return to a community hospital within 30 days, as well as identified clinical characteristics associated with hospital return in patients aged ≥75 years. Method: A secondary analysis of a database created during implementation of the Safe Transitions for At Risk Patients program at a 400-bed community teaching hospital in south Florida was conducted. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to identify significant demographic and clinical characteristics associated with return to the hospital within 30 days of discharge. Results: A total of 24,262 participants (52.6% women) with a mean age of 85.3 (SD = 6.42) years were included. More than 20% in each central nervous system prescription group (i.e., opioids only, BZD only, opioids and BZD) returned to the hospital within 30 days of discharge. Demographic and chronic conditions (e.g., congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes) and poly-pharmacy were significant factors of a 30-day return to the hospital. Conclusion: Findings highlight the importance of hospital nurses' role in identifying high-risk patients, educating patients and caregivers, monitoring them closely, communicating with primary care physicians and specialists, and conducting intensive follow up via telephone to avoid 30-day rehospitalization. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 50(4), 25–33.], Older adults with multiple chronic conditions are likely to be hospitalized and exposed to polypharmacy and risk of drug–drug interactions (Turnbull et al., 2021). Patients aged ≥75 years had a [...]
- Published
- 2024
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