A team of researchers evaluated the prescription of potentially inappropriate medications among older adults with lower-limb loss. Lower-limb loss leads to a dramatic reduction in metabolically active tissue, which may compound age-related pharmacodynamics changes, the study’s authors wrote. While in an inpatient facility following an amputation individuals can be closely monitored, but following discharge to the community, the risks of adverse drug effects may increase due to lack of supervision. The study found that 50 percent of the study participants reported using one or more potentially inappropriate medication.
The study was conducted as secondary analysis of a cross-sectional dataset collected through an interdisciplinary limb loss clinic between September 2013 and November 2022. Self-report medication lists were reviewed during in-clinic face-to-face interviews and compared to the American Geriatrics Society Beers Criteria, a tool to identify potentially inappropriate medications for adults 65 years old or older to guide prescribing decisions.
Half of the 82 participants (72.9 ± 6.6 years-old; 78 percent male) reported using one or more potentially inappropriate medication, which were significantly associated with presence of phantom limb pain, history of upper gastrointestinal issues, and a greater number of medications.
Polypharmacy and potentially inappropriate medication use are common among older adults with lower-limb loss, and the researchers suggested that greater attention should be paid to post-amputation medications, especially pain management medications, to minimize potential adverse side effects.
The study, “Potentially inappropriate medication use among older adults with lower-limb loss,” was published in Geriatric Nursing.
