Evaluación del uso de medicamentos potencialmente inapropiados en adultos mayores del servicio de hospitalización del Hospital San Juan de Riobamba

Abstract

The main objective of the present research study was to evaluate the use of potentially inappropriate medications (PIM) in older adults in the hospitalization service of the Hospital San Juan de Riobamba. Given the demographic aging in Ecuador, it is crucial to optimize the selection of drugs for older adults, avoiding potentially inappropriate drugs that involve significant clinical risks or lack solid evidence of efficacy. For which purpose the Beers criteria were adapted, incorporating their latest update of 2023, to the context of the country's healthcare environment. The hospital stays of 135 patients aged 60 years or older were analyzed through the analysis of medical records and prescriptions for the period January-October 2023. The mean age of the participants was 65.76 ± 4.56 years. Of the sample, 92.59% belonged to the “Advanced Age” age group (60-74 years). In addition, 86.67% identified themselves as mestizo, 65.19% were married and 54.07% were women. The most prevalent disease in this group was prostate hyperplasia, with a rate of 11.85%. The prevalence of MPI was 88.89 % among these proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) were the most prescribed group of drugs (35.14 %). Polymedication significantly influenced the probability of MPI use (p-value 0.000). It was concluded that there was a high rate of use of PPIs in older adults, which is associated with the polymedication to which patients are exposed during their hospital stay. Therefore, it is suggested that tools to evaluate the use of PPIs, such as the Beers 2023 criteria, be adapted to the health system of the country to become an alternative to recognize and reduce the problem of the use of PPIs in older adults.