Dose form modification - a common but potentially hazardous practice. A literature review and study of medication administration to older psychiatric inpatients.

Dose form modification - a common but potentially hazardous practice. A literature review and study of medication administration to older psychiatric inpatients. Research Abstract Details 

Research Abstract Table of Contents

Jump to the:

Dose form modification - a common but potentially hazardous practice. A literature review and study of medication administration to older psychiatric inpatients. Abstract Text:

Jean Stubbs,Camilla Haw,Geoff Dickens,

ABSTRACTBackground: Many older patients have difficulty in swallowing their tablets and capsules. Dose form modification, by crushing tablets or opening capsules, is often used by nurses to administer such medication.Methods: Electronic searches of five literature databases on tablet crushing and capsule opening were carried out. A review of medication incident reports involving tablet crushing from the U.K. National Reporting and Learning System (NRLS) was also undertaken. An observational study of medication administration on two long-stay wards for older mentally ill inpatients was carried out in a large psychiatric hospital.Results: Only 17 incidents involving tablet crushing were reported to NRLS in 13 months. In the observational study, the administration of 1257 oral doses of medication at 36 medication rounds was observed. Tablets were crushed or capsules opened for 25.5% (266/1045) of solid oral doses. For 44.0% (117/266) of these doses the tablet crushing had not been authorized by the prescriber. For 4.5% (12/266) of doses crushing was specifically contra-indicated by the manufacturer. In 57.5% (153/266) of doses, tablet crushing was avoidable by the correct use of more suitable preparations. Crushing caused contamination, spillage and hygiene problems.Conclusions: Although tablet crushing and capsule opening are common practices, they are rarely reported as causing patient harm. Tablet crushing can often be avoided by the use of more suitable preparations. Crushing tablets and opening capsules are contra-indicated for some preparations. Older patients' medication may benefit from review by a pharmacist in order to optimize safe medication administration. Where tablet crushing is unavoidable, attention to cleanliness, contamination and spillage are necessary.

Dose form modification - a common but potentially hazardous practice. A literature review and study of medication administration to older psychiatric inpatients. Publishing Authors By Initials

J Stubbs,C Haw,G Dickens,

For similar abstracts research abstracts see: abstracts research

PUBMED ID PMID:

MEDLINE DATE:

Dose form modification - a common but potentially hazardous practice. A literature review and study of medication administration to older psychiatric inpatients. Journal Published:

PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal Article

Journal: International psychogeriatrics / IPA

VOLUME: 20

Page Numbers: 616-27

Journal Abbreviation:

ISSN: 1041-6102

DAY: 22

MONTH: 08

YEAR: 2007

Dose form modification - a common but potentially hazardous practice. A literature review and study of medication administration to older psychiatric inpatients. Information

Number of References:

LANGUAGE: eng

NlmUniqueID: 9007918

Dose form modification - a common but potentially hazardous practice. A literature review and study of medication administration to older psychiatric inpatients. Keywords Mesh Terms:

KEYWORDS:

MESH TERMS:

Chemical & Substance for Abstract: Dose form modification - a common but potentially hazardous practice. A literature review and study of medication administration to older psychiatric inpatients. Information

Substance Name:

Registry Number:

Grant and Affiliation Information for Dose form modification - a common but potentially hazardous practice. A literature review and study of medication administration to older psychiatric inpatients.

AFFILIATION:

Country: United States

AGENCY:

GRANT:

ACRONYM:

MEDLINETA: Int Psychogeriatr

REFSOURCE:

DATABASENAME:

ACCESSION NUMBER:

Number Hits: 0

Dose form modification - a common but potentially hazardous practice A literature review and study of medication administration to older psychiatric inpatients Related Publications

• Achieving transparency in implementing abortion laws.
• Chapter 5. Legal implications of ICD therapy.
• Comparative judicial embryology: judges' approaches to unborn human life.
• Conscientious commitment.
• Degree of cure and fracture properties of experimental acid-resin modified composites under wet and dry conditions.
• Dissociation of alpha and theta activity as a function of verbal and visuospatial tasks.
• Dose form modification - a common but potentially hazardous practice. A literature review and study of medication administration to older psychiatric inpatients.
• Environmental precursors to rapid light carbon injection at the Palaeocene/Eocene boundary.
• Frank Dickens: 15 December 1899-25 June 1986.
• Inhibition of ratliver succinoxidase by synthetic oestrogens and related substances.
• International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) Guidelines for the Conduct of Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research (December 2006).
• Legal developments in assisted reproduction.
• Legislative approaches to assisted reproduction.
• Medically unexplained presentations and quality of life: A study of a predominantly South Asian primary care population in England.
• Muscle abnormalities in idiopathic toe-walkers.
• Network structure of Bis-GMA- and UDMA-based resin systems.
• Normal acoustic reflex amplitude growth and the influence of cochlear hearing loss.
• PULMONARY STENOSIS PRODUCED BY ANEURYSM OF THE ASCENDING AORTA.
• Prenatal management of anencephaly.
• Psychosocial predictors of health-related quality of life and health service utilisation in people with chronic low back pain.
• Sexual contact influences orientation to plant attractant in Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata Say (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae).
• Speech discrimination in the elderly.
• The challenges of reproductive and sexual rights.
• The economics of publishing.
• The introduction of reversible sterilization.
• Trials and errors: accidents in administration.
• [Current trends in bioethics in Canada]
• [The Pickwick syndrome. From literary speculations to sleep research]