[Maintenance therapy with beta-methyldigoxin in the elderly. A study of 40 patients]. / Terapia di mantenimento con beta metildigossina nell'anziano. Studio su 40 pazienti.

The efficacy of beta methyldigoxin was examined in a group of 40 elderly patients who had been hospitalised due to congested heart decompensation. A good clinical response was obtained in 95.5% of cases with the presence of slight toxic phenomena in 2 cases only (4.5%). The paper underlines the excellent pharmacokinetic pattern of the substance used in the steady state. Steady state digitalemic values were within the acceptable range in 83.76% of cases, whereas underdosage and overdosage phenomena were observed in 6.87% and 9.37% of patients respectively.

[Drug adverse effects in the elderly hospitalized with acute pathologies]. / Effetti collaterali da farmaci in anziani ospedalizzati per patologie acute.

OBJECTIVES: Data of Literature suggest that age is not an independent risk factor for adverse drug reactions (ADR), while there is evidence of a positive correlation between ADR and the number of drug taken. To investigate if that is true, we have examined the occurrence of ADR in elderly patients admitted to our Geriatric Department in the first nine months of 1999 for acute illness. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We have evaluated the occurrence of ADR in 510 patients more than 65 years of age (80 +/- 7.35 years). The adverse drug effect was worth considering when symptomatical or caused a change in the management of the patient (suspension or change of therapy, prolongation of staying in hospital). We used the algorithm of Naranjo (19) to estimate the probability that a drug caused an ADR. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: In our study the frequency of ADR was 12.5%. Furosemide was responsible for 50% and digoxin for 8% of ADR. Among the patients taking furosemide, 12.5% had an ADR (generally low potassium). The frequency of ADR was correlated neither with the age of the subjects nor with the number of drug taken. It can be possible that the main cause of ADR is the type of drugs assumed by elderly.