[Characteristics of potentially inappropriate prescribing of drugs in elderly polypathological patients].

Objective: To analyse potentially inappropriate prescribing (PIP) in elderly polypathological patients (PP).

Method: Multicentre observational, prospective study of 672 patients aged 75 years and older hospitalised in Internal Medicine between April 2011 and March 2012. The Beers, STOPP-START and ACOVE criteria were used to detect potentially inappropriate prescribing and the results of PP and non-PP patients were compared.

Inappropriate prescribing to the oldest old patients admitted to hospital: prevalence, most frequently used medicines, and associated factors.

Background: Scientific evidence on treatments of chronic diseases in patients 85 years old or older is very limited, as is available information on inappropriate prescription (IP) and its associated factors. The study aimed to describe medicine prescription, potentially inappropriate medicines (PIM) and potentially prescribing omissions (PPO) and their associated factors on this population.

Methods: In the context of an observational, prospective and multicentric study carried out in elderly patients admitted to seven Spanish hospitals for a year, a sub-analysis of those aged 85 years and over was performed.