Most delirium patients on drugs that worsen the condition
Up to 73% are on medicines associated with delirium, according to one study
Three-quarters of patients hospitalised with delirium are taking medications that are potential contributors, an Australian study shows.
The finding suggests a need for more rigorous medication reviews and deprescribing efforts, according to the authors.
Many of the drugs are “almost discretionary”, notes senior author Professor Libby Roughead, an expert in the quality use of medicines at the University of SA’s School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences.
The retrospective, observational study reviewed data on nearly 23,000 elderly patients (median age 89) who were in hospital with a primary or secondary diagnosis of delirium between 2010 and 2015.
