Polypharmacy in Older Adults (Out of Print)

Abstract

Abstract This resource consists of three virtual patient modules. The first patient has hypertension, atrial fibrillation, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and venous insufficiency. The patient recently began to take St. John's wort, which can have detrimental interactions with medications she takes for her conditions. The second patient is diagnosed with congestive heart failure and has a history of balance disorder, back pain, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, hypothyroidism, and hypertension, all of which complicate her treatment. The third patient has venous insufficiency that was previously misdiagnosed as congestive heart failure, leading to inappropriate medication use and side effects. In addition, she has a history of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, subaortic stenosis, osteoarthritis, urinary incontinence, and left femoral vein thrombosis, and is on several medications for these conditions.

Keywords

• Medication
• Polypharmacy
• Drug Interaction
• Side Effects