Objective Hypothermia is an adverse drug reaction (ADR) of antipsychotic drug (APD) use. Risk factors for hypothermia in ADP users are unknown. We studied which risk factors for hypothermia can be identified based on case reports. Method Case reports of hypothermia in APD-users found in PUBMED or EMBASE were searched for risk factors. The WHO international database for Adverse Drug Reactions was searched for reports of hypothermia and APD use. Results The literature search resulted in 32 articles containing 43 case reports. In the WHO database, 480 reports were registered of patients developing hypothermia during the use of APDs which almost equals the number of reports for hyperthermia associated with APD use (n=524). Hypothermia risk seems to be increased in the first days following start or dose increase of APs. APs with strong 5-HT2 antagonism seem to be more involved in hypothermia; 55% of hypothermia reports are for atypical antipsychotics. Schizophrenia was the most prevalent diagnosis in the case reports. Conclusion Especially in admitted patients who are not able to control their own environment or physical status, frequent measurements of body temperature (with a thermometer that can measure low body temperatures) must be performed in order to detect developing hypothermia.

ObjectivesTo identify the practical problems that older people experience with the daily use of their medicines and their management strategies to address these problems and to determine the potential clinical relevance thereof.DesignQualitative study with semistructured face-to-face interviews.SettingA community pharmacy and a geriatric outpatient ward.ParticipantsCommunity-dwelling people aged 70 and older (N = 59).MeasurementsParticipants were interviewed at home. Two researchers coded the reported problems and management strategies independently according to a coding scheme. An expert panel classified the potential clinical relevance of every identified practical problem and associated management strategy using a 3-point scale.ResultsTwo hundred eleven practical problems and 184 management strategies were identified. Ninety-five percent of the participants experienced one or more practical problems with the use of their medicines: problems reading and understanding the instructions for use, handling the outer packaging, handling the immediate packaging, completing preparation before use, and taking the medicine. For 10 participants, at least one of their problems, in combination with the applied management strategy, had potential clinical consequences and 11 cases (5% of the problems) had the potential to cause moderate or severe clinical deterioration.ConclusionOlder people experience a number of practical problems using their medicines, and their strategies to manage these problems are sometimes suboptimal. These problems can lead to incorrect medication use with clinically relevant consequences. The findings pose a challenge for healthcare professionals, drug developers, and regulators to diminish these problems.

this study underscores the need for more attention to medication prescribing to older patients. The prevalence of PIP among older patients in primary care is substantial and the prevalence of PIMs did not decrease over time.

Studies of diseases not uniquely associated with old age included an unacceptably low proportion of older people, contrary to the recommendations of the ICH E7 guideline. Although the proportion of older participants in trials of diseases characteristically associated with aging was appropriate for certain medicines, the use of age-sensitive exclusion criteria limits the representativeness of the trial population for daily practice.

Background Statins are widely used to prevent cardiovascular disease (CVD). With advancing age, the risks of statins might outweigh the potential benefits. It is unclear which factors influence general practitioners’ (GPs) advice to stop statins in oldest-old patients. Objective To investigate the influence of a history of CVD , statin-related side effects, frailty and short life expectancy , on GPs’ advice to stop statins in oldest-old patients. Design We invited GPs to participate in this case-based survey. GPs were presented with 8 case vignettes describing patients > 80 years using a statin, and asked whether they would advise stopping statin treatment. Main Measures Cases varied in history of CVD, statin-related side effects and frailty, with and without shortened life expectancy (< 1 year) in the context of metastatic, non-curable cancer. Odds ratios adjusted for GP characteristics (OR adj ) were calculated for GPs’ advice to stop. Key Results Two thousand two hundred fifty GPs from 30 countries participated (median response rate 36%). Overall, GPs advised stopping statin treatment in 46% (95%CI 45–47) of the case vignettes; with shortened life expectancy, this proportion increased to 90% (95CI% 89–90). Advice to stop was more frequent in case vignettes without CVD compared to those with CVD (OR adj 13.8, 95%CI 12.6–15.1), with side effects compared to without OR adj 1.62 (95%CI 1.5–1.7) and with frailty (OR adj 4.1, 95%CI 3.8–4.4) compared to without. Shortened life expectancy increased advice to stop (OR adj 50.7, 95%CI 45.5–56.4) and was the strongest predictor for GP advice to stop, ranging across countries from 30% (95%CI 19–42) to 98% (95% CI 96–99). Conclusions The absence of CVD, the presence of statin-related side effects, and frailty were all independently associated with GPs’ advice to stop statins in patients aged > 80 years. Overall, and within all countries, cancer-related short life expectancy was the strongest independent predictor of GPs’ advice to stop statins. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s11606-018-4795-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.