ArticleAging medicine (Milton (N.S.W))2021
A delicate balance: Psychotropic polypharmacy and anti-cholinergic use are correlated with fall incidence in Australian inpatients with dementia.
Article in Aging medicine (Milton (N.S.W)), 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.
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Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed, 11 citations in OpenAlex.
- Psychotropic Polypharmacy in Dementia: A Retrospective Analysis for People with Neuropsychiatric Symptoms Referred to an Australian Dementia Support Service.Drugs & aging · 2025Article
- Constructing a fall risk prediction model for hospitalized patients using machine learning.BMC public health · 2025Article
- Risk of falls or fall-related injuries associated with potentially inappropriate medication use among older adults with dementia.BMC geriatrics · 2024Article
- Association of medication use with falls and mortality among long-term care residents: a longitudinal cohort study.BMC geriatrics · 2023Article
- Regional difference in multi-psychotropic drug prescription in Japan and its associated factors: an ecological study using national health insurance claims data.Research in health services & regions · 2023Article
- A delicate balance: Psychotropic polypharmacy and anti-cholinergic use are correlated with fall incidence in Australian inpatients with dementia.Aging medicine (Milton (N.S.W)) · 2021Article
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Authors and funding
7 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundPersons with dementia commonly experience a range of behavioural and psychological symptoms, including agitation, aggression, perceptual disturbances, and depression. While psychotropic medications are regularly prescribed to mitigate these symptoms, these agents also carry a broad adverse effect profile. This study aimed to characterize psychotropic medication use in patients with dementia, as well as identify prescribing factors associated with falls in this cohort.
methodsThis retrospective study collected longitudinal demographic and medication data from all patients admitted to a neuro-cognitive unit at an Australian metropolitan hospital over a 2-year period. Psychotropic polypharmacy and psychotropic agent use per patient-fortnight were investigated for their association with inpatient falls.
resultsAll patients (n = 147) were prescribed at least one psychotropic medication, with 96% receiving anti-psychotic medications and 90% receiving benzodiazepines. Patient fall rate was significantly associated with anticholinergic drug use (Incidence rate ratio: 2.2;
conclusionsPatients with dementia are routinely prescribed a wide variety of psychotropic medications. Use of anticholinergic drugs and psychotropic polypharmacy are correlated with fall incidence in persons with dementia.
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