FRECUENCIA Y FACTORES ASOCIADOS AL EMPLEO DE POLIFARMACIA EN PACIENTES MAYORES DE 65 AÑOS QUE SE PRESENTAN A URGENCIAS ADULTOS DEL HGR # 25

Abstract

Background: Polypharmacy, defined as the use of multiple prescription or nonprescription drug preparations by the physician, has been, along with geriatric syndrome, one of the great challenges of geriatric medicine, which requires special attention because of side effects with this leads to the elderly. Objective: To determine frequency and risk factors associated with the use of polypharmacy in patients over 65 years entering the Emergency Room of Hospital 25, to determine the characteristics of the geriatric population. Material and Methods: We designed a cross-sectional observational study of a prospective, descriptive and analytical, which investigated the frequency and factors associated with polypharmacy in patients admitted to the emergency room of Hospital 25 in October 2010. Census-type non-probability sampling that included patients over 65 years of both genders, who entered the service, who agreed to participate and had complete records. The variables were age, gender, education, polypharmacy, comorbidity, polypathology and self-medication. We used descriptive statistics. The study was authorized for the investigation committee. Results: Of a sample of 200 patients only 150 met the inclusion criteria for this study of polypharmacy. 72% of them had the basic level of education (primary) were detected diseases such as hypertension (82.7%), diabetes (50.7%) and ischemic heart disease (13.3%), among others. The 36% of the population has polypathology. 28.7% was determined for the most frequent self-medication used NSAIDs, gastric mucosal protective effect and cardiovascular drugs. Conclusion: The elderly population is more susceptible to polypharmacy. Medications are the most common NSAID. Be necessary to establish adequate preventive measures to limit the development of polypharmacy and self-medication.