[Potentially inappropriate medications in geriatrics: Which tools to detect them?].

Background: Potentially inappropriate prescriptions include over-prescription, which refers to prescription of more drugs than clinically needed, mis-prescription which refers to incorrect prescription of a drug that is needed (as per drug, dose, drug interactions, duration of therapy, duplication, follow-up, etc.) and under-prescription which stands for failure to prescribe drugs that are needed. They are associated with adverse drug events, increased use of health-care services, morbimortality and health-care costs, and poorer quality of life.

Interventions for treating bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (BRONJ).

Background: Bisphosphonate drugs can be used to prevent and treat osteoporosis and to reduce symptoms and complications of metastatic bone disease; however, they are associated with a rare but serious adverse event: osteonecrosis of the maxillary and mandibular bones. This condition is called bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw or BRONJ. BRONJ is diagnosed when people who are taking, or have previously taken, bisphosphonates have exposed bone in the jaw area for more than eight weeks in the absence of radiation treatment.

Breakthrough pain in elderly patients with cancer: treatment options.

The prevalence of pain is high in the elderly and increases with the occurrence of cancer. Pain treatment is challenging because of age-related factors such as co-morbidities, and over half of the patients with cancer pain experience transient exacerbation of pain that is known as breakthrough pain (BTP). As with background pain, BTP should be properly assessed before being treated.

Interdisciplinary geriatric and psychiatric care reduces potentially inappropriate prescribing in the hospital: interventional study in 150 acutely ill elderly patients with mental and somatic comorbid conditions.

Background: Potentially inappropriate medications and prescription omissions (PO) are highly prevalent in older patients with mental comorbidities.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of interdisciplinary geriatric and psychiatric care on the appropriateness of prescribing.

Design: Prospective and interventional study.

Potentially inappropriate prescribing including under-use amongst older patients with cognitive or psychiatric co-morbidities.

Objective: the study aimed to determine the prevalence of and risk factors for inappropriate prescribing (IP) and prescribing omission (PO) in elderly with mental co-morbidities.

Participants: One hundred fifty consecutive inpatients with mental co-morbidities hospitalised for acute medical illness (mean age 80 +/- 9, 70% of women) were considered for the study.

Measurements: IP and PO were prospectively identified according to STOPP/START criteria at hospital admission.