Background: Each year, about one-third of individuals over the age of 65 years will experience a fall, and half of these will experience a subsequent fall in the following year. The use of potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) is an important factor contributing to increased fall risk in geriatric patients.
What are the symptoms of opioid-induced neurotoxicity, and how can I avoid this often unrecognized and serious adverse drug reaction (ADR)?
Bottom lineCanada is the second-largest per capita consumer of opioids in the world.¹ Canadians who are 65 years or older have a higher likelihood of taking opioid therapy on a long-term basis than all other age groups. 2 Opioids are associated with well-known side effects such as constipation, nausea, dizziness, sedation, delirium, and falls. Older adults are at greater risk of ADRs owing to drug-drug interactions, comorbidity, and age-related physiologic changes. This paper summarizes an article published in the Canadian Geriatrics Society Journal of CME on opioid-induced neurotoxicity, which is a commonly missed ADR. 3 This article is eligible for Mainpro+ certified Self-Learning credits. To earn credits, go to https://www.cfp.ca and click on the Mainpro+ link.
Quels sont les symptômes de la neurotoxicité induite par les opioïdes, et comment éviter cet effet indésirable aux médicaments, souvent grave et non reconnu?
RésultatsLe Canada est le deuxième consommateur d'opioïdes par habitant au monde¹. Les Canadiens de 65 ans et plus sont plus susceptibles de suivre un traitement opioïde prolongé que tout autre groupe d'âge 2 . Les opioïdes sont associés à des effets indésirables reconnus, tels que : constipation, nausées, étourdissements, sédation, délire et chutes. Les aînés présentent un risque plus élevé d'effets indésirables aux médicaments (EIM), causés par les interactions médicamenteuses, les comorbidités et les changements physiologiques liés au vieillissement. Cet article résume un article publié dans la revue Canadian Geriatrics Society Journal of CME sur la neurotoxicité induite par les opioïdes, qui est un EIM fréquemment négligé 3 .
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.