Exam II Flashcards
What are the 4 intentions of the Beers Criteria?
Improving the selection of Rx drugs by clinicians and patients
Evaluating patterns of drug use within populations
Educating clinicians and patients on proper drug usage
Evaluating health-outcome, quality of care, cost, and utilization data
The goal of the Beers criteria is to improve the care of older adults by reducing their exposure to what?
PIMs
Potentially Inappropriate Medications
Is the Beers criteria considered a set of hard and fast rules?
No. It’s geared toward the practicing clinician, but is not meant to supersede the Dr’s judgement or the patient’s needs.
What’s considered to be the best approach to prescribing a medication?
A team approach to prescribing, the uses of non-pharmacologic means first, and a care plan that meets the needs specific of the patient (aka don’t just parrot the Beers criteria…use your brain!)
What are the 2 ways that drug-drug interactions occur?
Pharmokinetic: What the body does to the drug
Pharmodynamic: What the drug does to the body
What is the most frequent drug-drug pharmokinetic interaction?
P450 (CYP)
Which type of drug interaction is related to the pharmocologic activity of interacting drugs and is an amplification or decrease in the therapeutic effects or side-effects of a specific drug?
Pharmacodynamic D-D interactions
What are the 5 other types of drug-drug interactions?
- Drug-disease
- Drug-Food
- Drug-Alcohol
- Drug-Herbal products
- Drug-Nutritional Status
What type of reserves decrease with age? Why do you need to take this into consideration when prescribing to the elderly?
Cellular, organ, and systems reserves. This means the elderly are not going fit the prototypical model of the medication and its effects.
What is an important thing to obtain from a pt before doing any prescribing?
A complete medication list. They may be on Meds from various docs
What type of drugs should you avoid if there is an equally effective alternative available?
Drugs with a narrow therapeutic window
Who are the elderly patients that bear a higher risk for drug interactions?
Organ transplant pts, HIV pts, and pts with mental or health problems, pts who take lots of rxs, have several co-morbidities, or do not maintain adequate nutrition
What are some common causes of falls?
Accidental/environmentally related, Gait/balance disorders*, weakness, dizziness, drop attack, confusion, postural hypotension, visual disorders, syncope
What is a drop attack?
A sudden fall without loss of consciousness or dizziness
What are 2 important risk factors that can pre-dispose a pt to falling?
Muscle weakness from disease and inactivity and medications (specifically psychoactive meds)
What is important to obtain when treating a patient who has fallen?
You want to get a full report of the circumstances and symptoms around the time of the fall, reports from witnesses can be helpful
What are 3 things you should do when assessing a pt who has fallen?
- Look for orthostatic changes in pulse and blood pressure, heart sounds, bruits, neurological signs, etc
- Try to reproduce the events that may have caused the fall (head turn, position changes)
- Asses gait and stability
For what 3 conditions is it important to first treat the underlying cause?
cardiac, drug side effects, Parkinsons
What are some things you can do for pts experiencing orthostatic hypotension?
- Sleeping with the head raised can reduce sudden drop in pressure when rising
- Elastic stocking minimize varicose veins pooling
- Increase blood volume with salt
- Mineralocorticoids if the above doesn’t help
What can you do for disabilities that don’t respond to Tx?
Short-term rehabilitation may improve safety and diminish long-term disability
What can you eliminate/add in the home to prevent falls?
Eliminate home hazards (rugs, wires, etc) and get proper handrails and grips
What can the pt do to prevent falling?
the patient should do exercise programs for balance, strength, and endurance training
Changes in what 3 physiological systems lead to frailty?
Neuromuscular
Neuroendocrine
Immunological
What is the key phenotypical component to frailty?
Sarcopenia or loss of muscle mass and strength
What 4 factors contribute to sarcopenia?
Nutrition
Hormonal
Metabolic
Immunological
What are the 5 other phenotypical factors of frailty>
Anorexia Osteoporosis Fatigue Risk of falls Poor physical health.
What are 2 measures of frailty?
Sarcopenia and the Fried Frailty Model
What are 2 measures of frailty?
Sarcopenia and the Fried Frailty Model
What are the 5 components of the Fried Frailty Model? *WWELS)
- Weight Loss
- Weakness
- Exhaustion
- Low Energy Expenditure
- Slowness
What are the 5 components of the Fried Frailty Model? *WWELS)
- Weight Loss
- Weakness
- Exhaustion
- Low Energy Expenditure
- Slowness
How much weight loss is considered to be a factor for frailty?
Self-reported >4.5 kg
or recorded loss of > or = to 5%/year
How much weight loss is considered to be a factor for frailty?
Self-reported >4.5 kg
or recorded loss of > or = to 5%/year
What energy expenditure is a factor for frailty?
Women: <383 kcal/week
What energy expenditure is a factor for frailty?
Women: <383 kcal/week
How do you measure slowness?
Standardized cut-off times for a 15 ft walk, adjusted for sex and height
How do you measure slowness?
Standardized cut-off times for a 15 ft walk, adjusted for sex and height
How do you measure weakness?
Grip strength
How do you measure weakness?
Grip strength
What are some indications for measuring bone mineral density in persons over 50 years of age?
Over 65, Fragility fracture after age 40, Prolonged use of glucocorticoids or other high risk meds, parental hip fracture, vertebral fracture or osteopenia, current smoking, high alcohol intake, low body weigh, major weight loess, or RA
What are some indications for measuring bone mineral density in persons over 50 years of age?
Over 65, Fragility fracture after age 40, Prolonged use of glucocorticoids or other high risk meds, parental hip fracture, vertebral fracture or osteopenia, current smoking, high alcohol intake, low body weigh, major weight loess, or RA
What is an example of an anti-resporptive agent?
Bisphosphonates, Receptor activator for nuclear factor κ B [RANK] ligand inhibitor, Selective estrogen receptor modulator, Hormone therapy, Calcitonin)
What is an example of an anti-resporptive agent?
Bisphosphonates, Receptor activator for nuclear factor κ B [RANK] ligand inhibitor, Selective estrogen receptor modulator, Hormone therapy, Calcitonin)
What is an example of a bone-forming agent?
Teriparatide
What is an example of a bone-forming agent?
Teriparatide
In general, pharmacotherapy reduces the risk of vertebral fracture by ___________, depending on the agent and level of adherence
30-70%
In general, pharmacotherapy reduces the risk of vertebral fracture by ___________, depending on the agent and level of adherence
30-70%
What 2 drugs may decrease the pain associated with vertebral fractures?
Teriparatide and calcitonin
What 2 drugs may decrease the pain associated with vertebral fractures?
Teriparatide and calcitonin
What are the first line Rxs for menopausal women with osteoporosis?
Alendronate, risedronate, zoledronic acid, and denosumab
What are the first line Rxs for menopausal women with osteoporosis?
Alendronate, risedronate, zoledronic acid, and denosumab
What are the first line Rx for menopausal women with osteoporosis to prevent vertebral fxs?
Raloxifene
What are the first line Rx for menopausal women with osteoporosis to prevent vertebral fxs?
Raloxifene
What is the 1st line therapy for women with osteoporosis that also require Tx for vasomotor Sx?
Hormone therapy 1st line therapy for prevention of hip, non-vertebral, and vertebral fractures
What is the 1st line therapy for women with osteoporosis that also require Tx for vasomotor Sx?
Hormone therapy 1st line therapy for prevention of hip, non-vertebral, and vertebral fractures