Table 1 Demographic and clinical characteristics and medications according to patient group.

From: Comparing prevalence and types of potentially inappropriate medications among patient groups in a post-acute and secondary care hospital

 

Total

Subgroup

pa

Subacute

Post-acute orthopedics

Post-acute neurological disorders

Post-acute others

Patients

541

(100)

275

(50.8)

116

(21.4)

70

(12.9)

80

(14.8)

–

Age, years (n = 541)

86

(81–90)

87

(83–92)

86

(81–90)

82

(78–88)

85

(81–87)

 < 0.001

Male sex (n = 541)

198

(36.6)

84

(30.5)

33

(28.4)

39

(55.7)

42

(52.5)

 < 0.001

Living at home before hospitalization (n = 541)

339

(62.7)

102

(37.1)

105

(90.5)

66

(94.3)

66

(82.5)

 < 0.001

Body mass index, kg/m2 (n = 531b)

20.0

3.6

19.6

3.8

19.9

2.9

21.9

3.5

19.6

3.3

 < 0.001

ISDEc (n = 538)

B

(B–C)

B

(B–C)

B

(B–C)

B

(B–B)

B

(B–C)

 < 0.001

FIMd on admission (n = 483e)

46

(27–70)

38

(22–62)

68

(44–82)

49

(28–75)

42

(26–60)

 < 0.001

Length of hospital stay, days (n = 541)

36

(21–51)

25

(14–41)

48

(36–59)

60

(38–83)

39

(24–49)

 < 0.001

Charlson comorbidity Indexf (n = 541)

2

(1–3)

2

(1–3)

1

(0–1)

3

(2–4)

2

(1–4)

 < 0.001

Comorbidities (n = 541)

 Hypertension

325

(60.1)

156

(56.7)

68

(58.6)

56

(80)

45

(56.3)

0.003

 History of myocardial infarction

40

(7.4)

17

(6.2)

11

(9.5)

4

(5.7)

8

(10)

0.48

 Heart failure

133

(24.6)

86

(31.3)

9

(7.8)

9

(12.9)

29

(36.3)

 < 0.001

 Atrial fibrillation

78

(14.4)

44

(16.0)

9

(12.9)

9

(7.8)

16

(20.0)

0.06

 Peripheral arterial disease or aortic aneurysm

19

(3.5)

8

(2.9)

1

(0.9)

4

(5.7)

6

(7.5)

0.047

 Stroke or paralysis

184

(34.0)

74

(26.9)

18

(15.5)

67

(95.7)

25

(31.3)

 < 0.001

 Dementia

217

(40.1)

150

(54.5)

11

(9.5)

26

(37.1)

30

(37.5)

 < 0.001

 Chronic pulmonary diseases

37

(6.8)

14

(5.1)

10

(8.6)

4

(5.7)

9

(11.3)

0.21

 Rheumatic diseases

21

(3.9)

9

(3.3)

6

(5.2)

2

(2.9)

4

(5.0)

0.71

 Peptic ulcer

12

(2.2)

6

(2.2)

2

(1.7)

2

(2.9)

2

(2.5)

0.92

 Chronic hepatitis or cirrhosis

14

(2.6)

5

(1.8)

1

(0.9)

2

(2.9)

6

(7.5)

0.032

 Diabetes mellitus

132

(24.4)

66

(24.0)

27

(23.3)

20

(28.6)

19

(23.8)

0.85

 Renal dysfunction (Cre > 3.0 mg/dL)

9

(1.7)

9

(3.3)

0

(0)

0

(0)

0

(0)

0.052

 Solid tumor

15

(2.8)

20

(7.3)

3

(2.6)

2

(2.9)

16

(20.0)

 < 0.001

 Leukemia or lymphoma

6

(1.1)

4

(1.5)

1

(0.9)

0

(0)

1

(1.3)

0.93

 Acquired immune deficiency syndrome

0

(0)

0

(0)

0

(0)

0

(0)

0

(0)

-

 Total number of medications (n = 541)

7

(4–9)

7

(5–9)

6

(4–9)

6

(4–9)

7

(5–11)

0.18

Polypharmacyg (n = 541)

403

(74.5)

211

(76.7)

85

(73.3)

47

(67.1)

60

(75.0)

0.41

Total number of PIMs (n = 541)

1

(0–2)

1

(0–2)

1

(0–2)

0.5

(0–2)

1

(0–2)

0.07

Use of any PIMs (n = 541)

329

(60.8)

179

(65.1)

71

(61.2)

35

(50.0)

44

(55.0)

0.08

 Antipsychotics

42

(7.8)

28

(10.2)

6

(5.2)

3

(4.3)

5

(6.3)

0.24

 Benzodiazepines or Z-drugs

96

(17.7)

57

(20.7)

25

(21.6)

7

(10.0)

7

(8.8)

0.014

 Antidepressants

0

(0)

         

 Sulpiride

3

(0.6)

3

(1.1)

0

(0.0)

0

(0.0)

0

(0.0)

 

 Antiparkinsonian drugs (anticholinergic)

1

(0.2)

1

(0.4)

0

(0.0)

0

(0.0)

0

(0.0)

 

 Oral steroids

0

(0)

         

 Antithrombotic drugs (multiple use of them)

35

(6.5)

8

(2.9)

3

(2.6)

16

(22.9)

8

(10.0)

 < 0.001

 Digitalis

0

(0)

         

 Loop diuretics and/or aldosterone antagonistsh

136

(25.1)

89

(32.4)

14

(12.1)

8

(11.4)

25

(31.3)

 < 0.001

  Without heart failure

49

(9.1)

34

(12.4)

9

(7.8)

3

(4.3)

3

(3.8)

 

 Beta-blockers

0

(0)

         

 Alpha-1-blockers

21

(3.9)

13

(4.7)

3

(2.6)

3

(4.3)

2

(2.5)

 

 H1 receptor antagonists (first generation)

2

(0.4)

2

(0.7)

0

(0.0)

0

(0.0)

0

(0.0)

 

 H2 receptor antagonists

25

(4.6)

11

(4.0)

8

(6.9)

4

(5.7)

2

(2.5)

 

 Antiemetic drugs

3

(0.6)

2

(0.7)

1

(0.9)

0

(0.0)

0

(0.0)

 

 Laxative (magnesium oxide)

14

(2.6)

10

(3.6)

0

(0.0)

1

(1.4)

3

(3.8)

 

 Oral antidiabetic drugs

51

(9.4)

26

(9.5)

14

(12.1)

8

(11.4)

3

(3.8)

0.19

 Insulin (sliding scale)

10

(1.9)

0

(0.0)

1

(0.9)

5

(7.1)

4

(5.0)

 

 Overactive bladder drugs (anticholinergic)

14

(2.6)

8

(2.9)

4

(3.4)

1

(1.4)

1

(1.3)

 

 Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs

57

(10.5)

26

(9.5)

24

(20.7)

1

(1.4)

6

(7.5)

 < 0.001

 Proton-pump inhibitors

194

(35.9)

94

(34.9)

29

(25.0)

44

(62.9)

25

(31.3)

 < 0.001

  1. Data are presented as number (%), mean ± standard deviation, or median (interquartile range) unless indicated otherwise.
  2. Cre creatinine, FIM Functional Independence Measure, ISDE Independence Scale of the Disabled Elderly, PIMs potentially inappropriate medications.
  3. aComparison among the four subgroups.
  4. bData on both height and weight were missing in 7 patients, and data on only height were missing in 3 patients.
  5. cIn ISDE, all patients were categorized into four groups: Rank J (independent), Rank A (house-bound), Rank B (chair-bound), and Rank C (bed-bound).
  6. dFIM ranges from 18 to 126; a higher score indicates better function.
  7. eData on FIM were missing in 58 of 541 patients overall, in 56 of 275 patients in the post-acute group, and 2 of 80 patients in the post-acute others group.
  8. fCharlson Comorbidity Index ranges from 0 to 37; a higher score indicates more comorbidities.
  9. gPolypharmacy was defined as 5 or more medications.
  10. hThiazides were not considered to be PIMs in this study.
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