Table 2.
The temporal change in the proportion of hospitalised elderly patients taking any PIMs from admission to discharge according to their primary diagnosis for admission. Values are given as numbers (percentages) unless stated otherwise
| Primary diagnosis for admission | Proportion of patients taking any PIMs* | |||
| At admission | At discharge | Reduction rate (95% CI) | P values† | |
| Total, n=689 | 330 (47.9) | 173 (25.1) | 0.48 (0.41 to 0.53) | <0.001 |
| Heart failure, n=153 | 75 (49.0) | 50 (32.7) | 0.33 (0.16 to 0.47) | <0.001 |
| Pneumonia, n=141 | 75 (53.2) | 33 (23.4) | 0.56 (0.43 to 0.66) | <0.001 |
| Ischaemic stroke, n=108 | 43 (40.0) | 27 (25.0) | 0.37 (0.12 to 0.55) | 0.001 |
| GI bleeding, n=71 | 34 (47.9) | 11 (15.5) | 0.68 (0.47 to 0.80) | <0.001 |
| UTI, n=58 | 28 (48.3) | 13 (22.4) | 0.54 (0.29 to 0.70) | <0.001 |
| COPD or asthma, n=57 | 31 (54.4) | 20 (35.1) | 0.35 (0.14 to 0.51) | <0.001 |
| ACS, n=56 | 23 (41.1) | 10 (17.9) | 0.57 (0.28 to 0.74) | <0.001 |
| Epilepsy, n=45 | 21 (46.7) | 9 (20.0) | 0.57 (0.30 to 0.74) | <0.001 |
*PIMs were defined based on the 2015 American Geriatric Society Beers Criteria.
†Comparison of the numbers at admission and at discharge using Fisher’s exact test.
ACS, acute coronary syndrome; COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; GI, gastrointestinal; PIM, potentially inappropriate medication; UTI, urinary tract infection.