Potentially inappropriate prescriptions of antibiotics in geriatric psychiatry—a retrospective cohort study

IntroductionOlder patients are frequently affected by infectious diseases and adverse drug reactions (ADRs) of consecutively prescribed antibiotics. Particularly within geriatric psychiatry, high rates of potentially inappropriate prescriptions (PIPs) have been described, significantly complicating...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Tabea Pfister, Sebastian Schröder, Johannes Heck, Stefan Bleich, Tillmann H. C. Krüger, Felix Wedegärtner, Adrian Groh, Martin Schulze Westhoff
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2024-01-01
Series:Frontiers in Psychiatry
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1272695/full
_version_ 1827386840080973824
author Tabea Pfister
Sebastian Schröder
Johannes Heck
Stefan Bleich
Tillmann H. C. Krüger
Felix Wedegärtner
Adrian Groh
Martin Schulze Westhoff
author_facet Tabea Pfister
Sebastian Schröder
Johannes Heck
Stefan Bleich
Tillmann H. C. Krüger
Felix Wedegärtner
Adrian Groh
Martin Schulze Westhoff
author_sort Tabea Pfister
collection DOAJ
description IntroductionOlder patients are frequently affected by infectious diseases and adverse drug reactions (ADRs) of consecutively prescribed antibiotics. Particularly within geriatric psychiatry, high rates of potentially inappropriate prescriptions (PIPs) have been described, significantly complicating pharmacological treatment. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the frequency and characteristics of antibiotic PIPs in geriatric psychiatry.MethodsMedication charts of 139 patient cases (mean age 78.8 years; 69.8% female) receiving antibiotic treatment on a geriatric psychiatric ward were analyzed. Utilizing previously published definitions of antibiotic PIPs, adequacy of the antibiotic prescriptions was subsequently assessed.Results16.3% of all screened patient cases (139/851) received an antibiotic treatment during their inpatient stay. 59.5% of antibiotic prescriptions were due to urinary tract infections, followed by pulmonary (13.3%) and skin and soft tissue infections (11.3%). 46.7% of all antibiotic prescriptions fulfilled at least one PIP criterium, with the prescription of an antibiotic course for more than seven days as the most common PIP (15.3%).DiscussionAntibiotic PIPs can be considered as a frequent phenomenon in geriatric psychiatry. Especially the use of fluoroquinolones and cephalosporins should be discussed critically due to their extensive side effect profiles. Due to the special characteristics of geriatric psychiatric patients, international guidelines on the use of antibiotics should consider frailty and psychotropic polypharmacy of this patient population more closely.
first_indexed 2024-03-08T15:52:25Z
format Article
id doaj.art-248141d4d06a4736b524f679261a810b
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 1664-0640
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-08T15:52:25Z
publishDate 2024-01-01
publisher Frontiers Media S.A.
record_format Article
series Frontiers in Psychiatry
spelling doaj.art-248141d4d06a4736b524f679261a810b2024-01-09T04:23:49ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychiatry1664-06402024-01-011410.3389/fpsyt.2023.12726951272695Potentially inappropriate prescriptions of antibiotics in geriatric psychiatry—a retrospective cohort studyTabea Pfister0Sebastian Schröder1Johannes Heck2Stefan Bleich3Tillmann H. C. Krüger4Felix Wedegärtner5Adrian Groh6Martin Schulze Westhoff7Department of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, GermanyDepartment of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, GermanyInstitute for Clinical Pharmacology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, GermanyDepartment of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, GermanyDepartment of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, GermanyDepartment of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, GermanyDepartment of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, GermanyDepartment of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, GermanyIntroductionOlder patients are frequently affected by infectious diseases and adverse drug reactions (ADRs) of consecutively prescribed antibiotics. Particularly within geriatric psychiatry, high rates of potentially inappropriate prescriptions (PIPs) have been described, significantly complicating pharmacological treatment. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the frequency and characteristics of antibiotic PIPs in geriatric psychiatry.MethodsMedication charts of 139 patient cases (mean age 78.8 years; 69.8% female) receiving antibiotic treatment on a geriatric psychiatric ward were analyzed. Utilizing previously published definitions of antibiotic PIPs, adequacy of the antibiotic prescriptions was subsequently assessed.Results16.3% of all screened patient cases (139/851) received an antibiotic treatment during their inpatient stay. 59.5% of antibiotic prescriptions were due to urinary tract infections, followed by pulmonary (13.3%) and skin and soft tissue infections (11.3%). 46.7% of all antibiotic prescriptions fulfilled at least one PIP criterium, with the prescription of an antibiotic course for more than seven days as the most common PIP (15.3%).DiscussionAntibiotic PIPs can be considered as a frequent phenomenon in geriatric psychiatry. Especially the use of fluoroquinolones and cephalosporins should be discussed critically due to their extensive side effect profiles. Due to the special characteristics of geriatric psychiatric patients, international guidelines on the use of antibiotics should consider frailty and psychotropic polypharmacy of this patient population more closely.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1272695/fullgeriatric psychiatrydrug safetypotentially inappropriate medicationsantibioticsantibiotic stewardship
spellingShingle Tabea Pfister
Sebastian Schröder
Johannes Heck
Stefan Bleich
Tillmann H. C. Krüger
Felix Wedegärtner
Adrian Groh
Martin Schulze Westhoff
Potentially inappropriate prescriptions of antibiotics in geriatric psychiatry—a retrospective cohort study
Frontiers in Psychiatry
geriatric psychiatry
drug safety
potentially inappropriate medications
antibiotics
antibiotic stewardship
title Potentially inappropriate prescriptions of antibiotics in geriatric psychiatry—a retrospective cohort study
title_full Potentially inappropriate prescriptions of antibiotics in geriatric psychiatry—a retrospective cohort study
title_fullStr Potentially inappropriate prescriptions of antibiotics in geriatric psychiatry—a retrospective cohort study
title_full_unstemmed Potentially inappropriate prescriptions of antibiotics in geriatric psychiatry—a retrospective cohort study
title_short Potentially inappropriate prescriptions of antibiotics in geriatric psychiatry—a retrospective cohort study
title_sort potentially inappropriate prescriptions of antibiotics in geriatric psychiatry a retrospective cohort study
topic geriatric psychiatry
drug safety
potentially inappropriate medications
antibiotics
antibiotic stewardship
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1272695/full
work_keys_str_mv AT tabeapfister potentiallyinappropriateprescriptionsofantibioticsingeriatricpsychiatryaretrospectivecohortstudy
AT sebastianschroder potentiallyinappropriateprescriptionsofantibioticsingeriatricpsychiatryaretrospectivecohortstudy
AT johannesheck potentiallyinappropriateprescriptionsofantibioticsingeriatricpsychiatryaretrospectivecohortstudy
AT stefanbleich potentiallyinappropriateprescriptionsofantibioticsingeriatricpsychiatryaretrospectivecohortstudy
AT tillmannhckruger potentiallyinappropriateprescriptionsofantibioticsingeriatricpsychiatryaretrospectivecohortstudy
AT felixwedegartner potentiallyinappropriateprescriptionsofantibioticsingeriatricpsychiatryaretrospectivecohortstudy
AT adriangroh potentiallyinappropriateprescriptionsofantibioticsingeriatricpsychiatryaretrospectivecohortstudy
AT martinschulzewesthoff potentiallyinappropriateprescriptionsofantibioticsingeriatricpsychiatryaretrospectivecohortstudy