Geriatrics Toolbox is our blog offering tools, resources, and insights into the care of older adults.
Oct
17
Don’t forget about Influenza
Posted in Clinical Care
Don’t forget about Influenza It’s that time of year again—flu season. The 2011-2012 influenza season set a new record for the lowest and shortest peak of influenza-like illness.
Polypharmacy. A Concise Summary
Posted in Medications
Polypharmacy can be defined several different ways. The simplest definition is “concurrent use of many different drugs, including prescription medications, over-the-counter medicine, complementary and alternative medications, and dietary supplements.”
Keep an Eye on the Kidneys
Posted in Clinical Care
As people age, their ability to filter blood, called the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) decreases. Drugs that are eliminated by the kidney can accumulate with declining GFR.
Osteoarthritis: Still Painful But Different
Posted in Clinical Care
Osteoarthritis: Still Painful But Different Chronic pain is very common in older adults and sho uld not be underestimated. Prevalence figures in people over age 65 vary widely, ranging from 35% to 85%, depending on the population.
2012 Beers Criteria
Posted in Medication Related Problems
So the new Beers criteria have been released. As background, a geriatrician, Mark H. Beers, MD, sought to identify a list of medications back in 1991 that were generally considered inappropriate for use in seniors, primarily due to toxic adverse effects for this population.