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Prevalence and characteristics of antidepressant drug prescriptions in older Italian patients

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 December 2011

A. Marengoni ,
G. Bianchi ,
A. Nobili ,
M. Tettamanti ,
L. Pasina ,
S. Corrao ,
F. Salerno ,
A. Iorio ,
M. Marcucci  and
P. M. Mannucci
A. Marengoni*
Affiliation:
Geriatric Unit, Spedali Civili, Department of Medical and Surgery Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
G. Bianchi
Affiliation:
Geriatric Unit, Spedali Civili, Department of Medical and Surgery Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
A. Nobili
Affiliation:
Department of Neuroscience, Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research, Milan, Italy
M. Tettamanti
Affiliation:
Department of Neuroscience, Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research, Milan, Italy
L. Pasina
Affiliation:
Department of Neuroscience, Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research, Milan, Italy
S. Corrao
Affiliation:
Biomedical Department of Internal and Specialist Medicine, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
F. Salerno
Affiliation:
Internal Medicine, IRCCS Policlinic San Donato, Department of Medical and Surgery Sciences, University of Milano, Milan, Italy
A. Iorio
Affiliation:
Department of Internal Medicine, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
M. Marcucci
Affiliation:
Department of Internal Medicine, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
P. M. Mannucci
Affiliation:
IRCCS Maggiore Hospital Foundation, Milan, Italy
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: Alessandra Marengoni, MD, PhD, Geriatric Unit, Spedali Civili, Department of Medical and Surgery Sciences, University of Brescia, Piazzale Spedali Civili 1, 25123 Brescia, Italy. Phone: +39-030-2528340; Fax: +39-030-396011. Email: marengon@med.unibs.it.
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Abstract

Background: During last few decades, the proportion of elderly persons prescribed with antidepressants for the treatment of depression and anxiety has increased. The aim of this study was to evaluate prevalence of antidepressant prescription and related factors in elderly in-patients, as well as the consistency between prescription of antidepressants and specific diagnoses requiring these medications.

Methods: Thirty-four internal medicine and four geriatric wards in Italy participated in the Registro Politerapie SIMI–REPOSI study during 2008. In all, 1,155 in-patients, 65 years or older, were enrolled. Prevalence of the use of antidepressants was calculated at both admission and discharge. Logistic regression was used to evaluate the association between patients’ characteristics (age, gender, Charlson Index, number of drugs, specific diseases, other psychotropic medications) and the prescription of antidepressants.

Results: The number of patients treated with antidepressant medication at hospital admission was 115 (9.9%) and at discharge 119 (10.3%). In a multivariate analysis, a higher number of drugs (OR = 1.2; 95% CI = 1.1–1.3), use of anxiolytic drugs (OR = 2.1; 95% CI = 1.2–3.6 and OR = 3.8; 95% CI = 2.1–6.8), and a diagnosis of dementia (OR = 6.1; 95% CI = 3.1–11.8 and OR = 5.8; 95% CI = 3.3–10.3, respectively, at admission and discharge) were independently associated with antidepressant prescription. A specific diagnosis requiring the use of antidepressants was present only in 66 (57.4%) patients at admission and 76 (66.1%) at discharge.

Conclusions: Antidepressants are commonly prescribed in geriatric patients, especially in those receiving multiple drugs, other psychotropic drugs, and those affected by dementia. There is an inconsistency between the prescription of antidepressants and a specific diagnosis that the hospitalization only slightly improves.

Keywords

antidepressantsprescriptionelderlyhospitalizationdementia
Type
Research Article
Information
International Psychogeriatrics , Volume 24 , Issue 4 , April 2012 , pp. 606 - 613
Copyright
Copyright © International Psychogeriatric Association 2011

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