A 79-year-old woman is brought to the hospital after falling down one hour ago. The patient reports frequent dizziness and a dizzy epiosde that leads to fall down. She has a medical history includes moderate dementia, hypertension, transient ischemic attack, depression, and chronic insomnia. In the ER she looks disoriented to time and place but otherwise is normal. Imaging shows no abnormalities. Blood pressure is 120/70 mm Hg, and pulse is 76/min and regular. The patient's medication schedule includes 10 different drugs that are used to manage her chronic conditions. Which of the following medications should be discontinued at this time?

Question

A 79-year-old woman is brought to the hospital after falling down one hour ago. The patient reports frequent dizziness and a dizzy epiosde that leads to fall down. She has a medical history includes moderate dementia, hypertension, transient ischemic attack, depression, and chronic insomnia. In the ER she looks disoriented to time and place but otherwise is normal. Imaging shows no abnormalities. Blood pressure is 120/70 mm Hg, and pulse is 76/min and regular. The patient's medication schedule includes 10 different drugs that are used to manage her chronic conditions.  Which of the following medications should be discontinued at this time?

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Eductional Objective: The Beers criteria identify drugs that should be used with caution in geriatric patients.  Common drugs to avoid include anticholinergics (eg, first-generation antihistamines), centrally acting alpha-2 agonists, tricyclic antidepressants, benzodiazepines (and other sedating medications), antipsychotics, many antiarrhythmics (eg, digoxin), and skeletal muscle relaxants.

A 79-Year-Old Woman Is Brought to the Hospital After Falling