Low-dose risperidone (mean 1.1 mg/d) was well tolerated and associated with reductions in the severity and frequency of behavioral symptoms, particularly aggression, in elderly patients with dementia.
BackgroundIn Canada, rates of hospital admission from opioid overdose are higher for older adults (≥ 65) than younger adults, and opioid use disorder (OUD) is a growing concern. In response, Health Canada commissioned the Canadian Coalition of Seniors’ Mental Health to create guidelines for the prevention, screening, assessment, and treatment of OUD in older adults.MethodsA systematic review of English language literature from 2008–2018 regarding OUD in adults was conducted. Previously published guidelines were evaluated using AGREE II, and key guidelines updated using ADAPTE method, by drawing on current literature. Recommendations were created and assessed using the GRADE method.ResultsThirty-two recommendations were created. Prevention recommendations: it is key to prioritize non-pharmacological and non-opioid strategies to treat acute and chronic noncancer pain. Assessment recommendations: a comprehensive assessment is important to help discern contributions of other medical conditions. Treatment recommendations: buprenorphine is first line for both withdrawal management and maintenance therapy, while methadone, slow-release oral morphine, or naltrexone can be used as alternatives under certain circumstances; non-pharmacological treatments should be offered as an integrated part of care.ConclusionThese guidelines provide practical and timely clinical recommendations on the prevention, assessment, and treatment of OUD in older adults within the Canadian context.
SYNOPSIS
While about 14% of older Americans are now taking an antidepressant, this broad use of antidepressants has not been associated with a notable decrease in the burden of geriatric depression. This article, based on a selective review of the literature, explores several explanations for this paradox. First, we discuss and reject the possible explanations that antidepressants are not effective in the treatment of depression or that the results of randomized clinical trials are not applicable to the treatment of depression in “real-world” clinical settings. Instead, we propose that the efficacy of antidepressants depends in large part on the way they are used. We present evidence supporting that the use of antidepressant pharmacotherapy is associated with better outcomes when it is guided by a treatment algorithm (a “stepped care approach”) as opposed to an attempt to individualize treatment. We review published guidelines and pharmacotherapy algorithms that were developed for the treatment of geriatric depression. Finally, we propose an updated algorithm based on the authors’ interpretation of the available evidence.
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