Real-World Performance Benchmarks in the Reading Ability of Prescription Drug Labels by Community-Dwelling Older Adults.

BACKGROUND: Despite known recommendations regarding standards for print size and the intuitive importance of vision in reading prescription labels, the predictive nature of vision and prescription label readability remains largely undefined. Furthermore, while the importance of vision is recognized, various demographic factors associated with the ability to read prescription labels have not been fully elucidated. OBJECTIVE: Describe relationships between visual acuity, point size, and readability of prescription labels and provide insight into demographic factors associated with prescription label readability. METHODS: Cross-sectional examination of prescription label readability by older, community-dwelling adults. Subjects were evaluated as to demographics, visual acuity, and ability to read test instruments consisting of unaltered prescription label features of five medications dispensed by community pharmacies and two drug samples. Descriptive statistics in conjunction with a logit predictive model were employed for data analysis. RESULTS: Instructions for medication use were most recognizable, identified and correctly read by 95.60% of the study cohort while directions for the use of drug samples were lowest (34.91%). Among prescription label features, auxiliary labels consistently demonstrated poor readability. Level of visual acuity was statistically related to the ability to read prescription labels while identifying prescription label components increased proportionally with point size. Race, gender, and history of a recent eye examination were statistically significant predictors of prescription label reading ability. Visual acuity alone was found to explain approximately 26% of the variablity in ability to read Rx labels. CONCLUSION: Visual acuity is predictive of the ability to access Rx label information and should be considered a modifiable variable for improving prescription label reading ability amenable by appropriate eye care and spectacle correction.

Recurrent Pheochromocytoma in an Elderly Patient.

Pheochromocytomas are rare neuroendocrine tumors that can affect people of all ages and are commonly diagnosed in the 4th and 5th decades of life. Familial pheochromocytomas are diagnosed mostly between the 2nd and 3rd decades of life. They can be benign or metastatic and often present as isolated tumors or along with other neuroendocrine syndromes. We present a case of an elderly man who underwent laparoscopic adrenalectomy for pheochromocytoma at the age of 60 years but developed recurrence of metastatic pheochromocytoma after ten years. We also conducted a literature review to understand the epidemiology and presentation of the tumor and to emphasize that there should be a low threshold of suspicion for timely diagnosis and management of recurrent pheochromocytoma.

Use of proton pump inhibitors with lack of diagnostic indications in 22 Midwestern US skilled nursing facilities.

OBJECTIVES: The primary objective of this study was to identify proton pump inhibitor (PPI) prescribing patterns in a population of older adults admitted to 22 Midwestern skilled long term care facilities (LTCF) with medical coverage provided by the US Medicare Part A program. The relationship between PPI prescribing patterns and specific ICD-9 diagnostic codes and symptoms management was examined. The long-term objective is appropriate PPI prescription guidance through the development of evidence- and regulation-based pharmacy formulary and policy practices, as well as practical prescribing guidance for practitioners who are supported by this pharmacy. DESIGN: An observational cohort study was conducted, using prospectively collected and de-identified prescribing and diagnostic data from a convenience sample of all Medicare A skilled nursing patients admitted between January 1, 2010, and May 31, 2011, to 22 urban, suburban, and rural Midwestern US LTCFs. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: A common pharmacy service de-identified and aggregated PPI prescribing data and patient diagnostic information. These secondary data were analyzed for trends and patterns related to PPI use for all Medicare A patients admitted to these 22 facilities during a 17-month period in 2010 and 2011. MEASUREMENT AND RESULTS: Rates of PPI use were determined and were compared with diagnostic codes. Of 1381 total admissions, 1100 patients (79.7%) were prescribed PPI. There was no appropriate diagnosis for PPI use in 718 patients (65.3%). Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) tended to be the blanket diagnosis that was used most frequently for PPIs, but there was usually no follow-up or symptomatic evidence documented of active GERD. When long-term (current) use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (including aspirin) and/or anticoagulant therapy (warfarin) was considered as appropriate indications for 382 patients, 336 (24%) of all Medicare patients were still receiving PPIs with no relevant gastrointestinal ICD-9 diagnostic code. Total cost of PPIs prescribed from January 2010 to June 2011 was $348,414. CONCLUSIONS: The examined PPI prescribing patterns show discordance between ICD-9 diagnostic code and prescribed use of PPIs in the study population. More than half (52%) of the total number of Medicare A patients were taking the medication without an indicated diagnosis. Even when NSAIDs and anticoagulant therapy were taken into consideration as valid reasons for PPI use, 24% of all patients admitted were still prescribed PPIs without a diagnosis that indicated the need for a PPI. Considering the economic cost, potential side effects, and CMS F329 regulations, which require that an LTCF resident's drug regimen be free from unnecessary medication, it is important that prescribers in LTCFs carefully consider use of PPIs in older adults in LTCFs and monitor the continued use of PPIs to prevent both the personal cost of physical side effects and drug-drug interactions, as well as the economic cost of unnecessary medication use.

Depression and elder abuse and neglect among a community-dwelling Chinese elderly population.

Our recent survey of an elderly cohort in mainland China suggests that elder abuse and neglect are common. Unfortunately, there is minimal knowledge about the risk factors for elder abuse and neglect among this population. We aimed to examine depression as a risk factor for elder abuse and neglect among Chinese elderly. A cross-sectional study was performed in a major urban medical center in NanJing, China. Depression was assessed using the Geriatric Depression Scale and direct questions were asked regarding abuse and neglect experienced by the elderly since the age of 60; 412 patients completed the survey. The mean age of the participants was 70 and 34% were female. Depression was found in 12% of the participants and elder abuse and neglect was found in 35% of the participants. After multiple logistical regression, feeling of dissatisfaction with life (OR, 2.92; 95% CI, 1.51-5.68, p < 0.001), often being bored (OR, 2.91; CI, 1.53-5.55, p < 0.001), often feeling helpless (OR, 2.79; CI, 1.35-5.76, p < 0.001), and feeling worthless (OR, 2.16; CI, 1.10-4.22, p < 0.001) were associated with increased risk of elder abuse and neglect. Multiple logistic regression modeling showed that depression is independently associated with elder abuse and neglect (OR, 3.26; CI, 1.49-7.10, p < 0.003). These findings suggest that depression is a significant risk factor associated with elder abuse and neglect among Chinese elderly.

Elder abuse and neglect in an urban chinese population.

This study aims to investigate the prevalence of elder abuse and neglect in an urban Chinese population. A cross-sectional study was performed in a major urban medical center in NanJing, China. A total of 412 participants completed the survey and 145 (35%) participants screened positive for elder abuse and neglect. The mean age of the victims was 69 years and 59% were male. Caregiver neglect was the most common form of abuse, followed by financial exploitation, psychological abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, and abandonment. Thirty-six percent of the victims suffered multiple forms of abuse and neglect. In the logistical regression analyses of the data, female gender, lower education and lower income were demographic risk factors associated with elder abuse and neglect. A better understanding of these and additional risk factors associated with elder abuse and neglect in older Chinese people is needed.

Loneliness in older chinese adults: a risk factor for elder mistreatment.

OBJECTIVES: To examine loneliness as a risk factor for elder mistreatment in an urban, community-dwelling Chinese population. DESIGN: Cross-sectional descriptive study. SETTING: Major urban medical center in NanJing, China. PARTICIPANTS: Four hundred twelve subjects aged 60 and older who presented to the general medical clinic. The mean age of the participants was 70, and 34% were female. Mean education level was 8.5 years of schooling. MEASUREMENTS: Loneliness was assessed using validated instruments, and direct questions were asked regarding mistreatment experienced by older adults. RESULTS: Elder mistreatment was found in 35.2% of the participants. After adjusting for confounding factors, feeling of often lacking companionship (odds ratio (OR)=4.06; 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.49-11.10) and feeling of sometimes being left out in life (OR=1.69; 95% CI=1.01-2.84) were positively associated with the risk of mistreatment. Risk of mistreatment was also correlated with higher total loneliness scores (OR=2.74; 95% CI=1.19-6.26). CONCLUSION: Loneliness appeared to be a risk factor associated with elder mistreatment in this older Chinese population. Further prospective studies are needed to confirm this finding. An exploration of Chinese culture and tradition may yield insight into shaping a prevention framework for mistreatment of older Chinese people.

Dementia with Lewy bodies: current concepts.

As life expectancy continues to increase over time, dementia is becoming an increasingly more common problem and a major cause of disability in older persons. It is now more important than ever to identify and manage common causes of dementia given variations in disease course, treatments and the possibility for modification of risk factors. Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is a dementia syndrome characterized by progressive cognitive decline, with fluctuating cognition, recurrent detailed and well-formed hallucinations, and parkinsonism. This article aims to provide an overview of current concepts of DLB, including a description of the key clinical features and neuropathology, neurochemistry, and genetics of DLB, then a discussion of the relationship of DLB with Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease, and, finally, a summary of current management strategies available for this disorder.

Gouty arthritis. A primer on late-onset gout.

Gouty arthritis, a common source of pain and disability, is the most common form of inflammatory arthritis affecting older people. The authors review the epidemiology and pathogenesis of hyperuricemia and gout, as well as the clinical forms of gouty arthritis. Gout is part of a clinical spectrum of conditions (obesity, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, coronary artery disease) and need for better patient education on management of these associated conditions is emphasized. The general algorithm of gout management is presented. Clinical particularities of gout presentation in older patients (increased incidence in women, polyarticular onset with hand involvement, earlier development of tophi, association with use of diuretics) are reviewed. Barriers against an optimal control of gout include lack of patient education, presence of comorbid conditions, particularly renal impairment, use of multiple drugs such as diuretics, and cognitive decline. Gout management in older adults remains unsatisfactory.

Elder abuse and neglect: an overview.

The dramatic growth of the American elderly population has great implications for our health care system. The "demographic imperative" that has fueled the awareness of the needs of older adults has a major impact on issues related to social welfare, justice, and economics. There are 45 million people over the age of 60 and 3 million over the age of 85. Those over age 85 represent the fastest growing segment of the elderly population. With this trend comes a segment of the population that is at risk for abuse, neglect, or self-neglect. We are challenged to be aware of the many faces of elder mistreatment and to understand it in the broader context of domestic violence. All health care professionals working with older adults need to become familiar with the recognition, treatment, and prevention of elder abuse and neglect.

Dementia and elder abuse.

Dementia and elder abuse are relatively common and under-diagnosed geriatric syndromes. A unique relationship is observed when the two entities coexist. Special issues can confound the care of the dementia patient suspected of being abused. Impaired language or motor abilities to communicate abusive situations to a third party, lack of decisional capacity to address the abusive situation, disinhibited behavior that contributes to a cycle of violence, and coincident depression of the abused elder complicate the diagnosis and management of elder abuse. Education of the caregiver and attention to caregiver stress, including depression, may prevent onset and perpetuation of abuse.

Decision-making capacity: the core of self-neglect.

Self-neglect in the elderly is a pervasive public health issue that affects 1.2 million elderly each year. In working with self-neglect cases, ethical issues are often raised that challenge all professionals. Professional and family's wishes to remove obstacles to the wellbeing of an elderly may be directly in opposition to the individual's wishes. The core of many ethical dilemmas resides in the question of the individual decision-making capacity. Issues surrounding decision-making capacity are complex with many confounding factors. Through case-discussion, fundamental ethical issues of decision-making capacity relating to self-neglect will be explored and strategies will be offered to resolve these dilemmas.