Inappropriate drug use in elderly patients is associated with prolonged hospital stay and increased postoperative mortality after colorectal cancer surgery: a population-based study

• Published in: Colorectal disease 2016-02, Vol.18 (2), p.155-162
• Main Authors: Samuelsson, K. S., Egenvall, M., Klarin, I., Lökk, J., Gunnarsson, U.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Colectomy - mortality; colorectal cancer surgery; Colorectal Neoplasms - drug therapy; Colorectal Neoplasms - mortality; Colorectal Neoplasms - surgery; elderly; Female; Humans; Inappropriate Prescribing - adverse effects; length hospital stay; length of hospital stay; Length of Stay - statistics & numerical data; Male; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; Odds Ratio; postoperative mortality; Postoperative Period; Potentially inappropriate drug use; Potentially Inappropriate Medication List - statistics & numerical data; Preoperative Period; Prospective Studies; Registries; Risk Factors; Sweden - epidemiology
• ISSN: 1462-8910; 1463-1318; 1463-1318
• DOI: 10.1111/codi.13077

Aim The study aimed to investigate whether continuing potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) is associated with length of hospital stay (LOS) and postoperative mortality in elderly people undergoing colorectal cancer surgery. Method The Swedish National Colorectal Cancer Register and the Swedish Prescribed Drug Register provided matched data on 7279 patients aged 75 years or more who had undergone bowel resection for colorectal cancer between 2007 and 2010. Patients were divided into two groups depending on whether or not they were taking PIM at the time of surgery. The primary efficacy variables were the LOS and 30‐day postoperative mortality. Results Of the 7279 patients, 22.5% (1641) of the patients were exposed to at least one PIM and the total number of drugs taken in this group was six, compared with three in the non‐PIM group (P