Polypharmacotherapy in Clinical Gerontology
Weber P., 1Kriška M., Meluzínová H., Dítětová K., 1Wawruch M.
Klinika interní, geriatrie, ošetřovatelství a praktického lékařství LF MU a FN, Brno 1Farmakologický ústav LF UK, Bratislava |
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Summary:
Multimorbidity frequently develops in old age and it is usually accompanied with pharmacotherapy of elderly
patients. The growing number of seniors and comparatively low attention given to this reality among the medical
community makes the problem highly significant for the practical medicine. Solution requires in the broad medical
community a deeper knowledge of gerontopharmacotherapy and of its specific features, including the pharmacodynamics
and pharmacokinetics in elderly organism. Non-geriatric physicians will face in their daily clinical praxis
the questions of drug interactions and undesirable general and local side effects. Moreover, some foods, beverages
or preservatives can influence the pharmacological effect. Due to multimorbidity in the senescence, such problems
can be linked to large geriatric syndromes (instability with downfalls, immobility, decubitus, incontinency, intellectual
and sensory defects of vision and hearing).
Key words:
Geriatrics, multimorbidity, polypharmacotherapy, drug interactions, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics,
compliance.
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