Psychotropic medicine prescribing and polypharmacy for people with dementia entering residential aged care: the influence of changing general practitioners.

OBJECTIVE: To examine relationships between changing general practitioner after entering residential aged care and overall medicines prescribing (including polypharmacy) and that of psychotropic medicines in particular. DESIGN: Retrospective data linkage study. SETTING, PARTICIPANTS: 45 and Up Study participants in New South Wales with dementia who were PBS concession card holders and entered permanent residential aged care during January 2010 - June 2014 and were alive six months after entry. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Inverse probability of treatment-weighted numbers of medicines dispensed to residents and proportions of residents dispensed antipsychotics, benzodiazepines, and antidepressants in the six months after residential care entry, by most frequent residential care GP category: usual (same as during two years preceding entry), known (another GP, but known to the resident), or new GP. RESULTS: Of 2250 new residents with dementia (mean age, 84.1 years; SD, 7.0 years; 1236 women [55%]), 625 most frequently saw their usual GPs (28%), 645 saw known GPs (29%), and 980 saw new GPs (44%). The increase in mean number of dispensed medicines after residential care entry was larger for residents with new GPs (+1.6 medicines; 95% CI, 1.4-1.9 medicines) than for those attended by their usual GPs (+0.7 medicines; 95% CI, 0.4-1.1 medicines; adjusted rate ratio, 2.42; 95% CI, 1.59-3.70). The odds of being dispensed antipsychotics (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.59; 95% CI, 1.18-2.12) or benzodiazepines (aOR, 1.69; 95% CI, 1.25-2.30), but not antidepressants (aOR, 1.32; 95% CI, 0.98-1.77), were also higher for the new GP group. Differences between the known and usual GP groups were not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Increases in medicine use and rates of psychotropic dispensing were higher for people with dementia who changed GP when they entered residential care. Facilitating continuity of GP care for new residents and more structured transfer of GP care may prevent potentially inappropriate initiation of psychotropic medicines.

Evidências sobre a combinação de antidepressivos na depressão maior / Evidence on the combination of antidepressants in major depression

O objetivo desta revisão narrativa é avaliar as evidências científicas do emprego de combinação de antidepressivos no tratamento da depressão maior. Foram avaliadas duas modalidades de combinação: a introdução da combinação desde o início do tratamento e a associação de um segundo antidepressivo em pacientes que não apresentaram resposta satisfatória com o primeiro antidepressivo. Foram pesquisadas as principais bases de dados até outubro de 2012, sem restrição de língua (PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, PsycINFO, Lilacs, registros de ensaios clínicos e bancos de teses) e referências secundárias. Foram utilizadas revisões sistemáticas recentes, ensaios clínicos não contemplados pelas revisões e artigos de revisão sobre o tema. Ambas as formas de combinação de antidepressivos foram muito pouco estudadas. De maneira geral, os ensaios incluíram número muito pequeno de sujeitos e apresentaram problemas metodológicos significativos. Os resultados são controversos. As evidências existentes não permitem conclusões sólidas acerca da eficácia e tolerabilidade do emprego de associações de antidepressivos.

Análisis descriptivo de intervención en depresión en nivel primario de atención: Servicio de Salud Concepción / Intervention descriptive analysis of depression at primary care level: health service, Concepción

Se presenta la evaluación de 1 año de tratamiento de pacientes con diagnóstico de depresión de género femenino y mayores de 20 años en atención primaria del Servicio de Salud Concepción. Luego de la capacitación respectiva, se atendieron 2.398 mujeres, de las cuales 794 abandonaron tratamiento. 489 fueron dadas de alta y 1.115 permanecen en tratamiento. La aplicación de ese programa de atención planteó dificultades en cuanto a la disponibilidad de fármacos, horas profesionales y significó un desmedro del resto de las atenciones en salud mental. Fue positivo en cuanto a que benefició a un número importante de paciente