Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
2
pubmed:dateCreated
1997-5-1
pubmed:abstractText
The authors (within 24 hours of the order) administered a telephone questionnaire to physicians prescribing benzodiazepines to patients over age 65 admitted to a tertiary care university hospital (N = 81 consecutive medical and surgical admissions). Data were obtained from 50 physicians. Prescriptions were most commonly written for preoperative relaxation (26%), pain (14%), nausea (12%), to aid intubation (12%), or facilitate a medical test (10%). Dosages were chosen on the basis of subjective experience (32%), lowest effective dose (28%), considerations of age/sex/weight (16%), and drug manual recommendations (8%). Ten percent of patients were prescribed a benzodiazepine before hospitalization, and their dosages were tapered (6%) or maintained (4%). There is considerable variation in physicians rationale for benzodiazepine prescriptions to hospitalized elderly patients. Benzodiazepines are used to treat symptoms rather than disorders. Age is infrequently considered in dosing judgments despite the pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic changes known to be associated with aging.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:issn
1064-7481
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
5
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
167-71
pubmed:dateRevised
2008-11-21
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
1997
pubmed:articleTitle
Physician rationale for benzodiazepine prescriptions to elderly hospitalized patients.
pubmed:affiliation
Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Jefferson Medical College, USA.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article