Finlayson R E, Davis L J
Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic Rochester, MN 55905.
Mayo Clin Proc. 1994 Dec;69(12):1137-45. doi: 10.1016/s0025-6196(12)65764-4.
To determine the prevalence of prescription drug dependence among elderly persons in an inpatient treatment setting, to identify apparent risk factors for drug dependence, and to ascertain what factors led to admission of these patients.
We reviewed the medical records of 100 elderly patients dependent on prescription drugs who were admitted to the Mayo Inpatient Addiction Program between 1974 and 1993.
Demographic features, chronic medical disorders, categories of substance dependence, diagnoses of mental disorders, and Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory data were compiled and analyzed.
The mean annual admissions rates for three substance use disorder groups among all elderly persons treated during the 20-year period of study were as follows: alcohol only, 72%; prescription drugs, 16%; and both alcohol and drugs, 12%. The group as a whole was socially intact. Female gender seemed to be a risk factor for drug dependence. By several measures, these elderly patients were characterized as a psychiatric population. The most frequent drug dependence involved sedatives or hypnotics. General medical data did not suggest that these elderly persons were more physically impaired than the general population.
In elderly patients, awareness of coexistent diagnoses is essential in avoiding the inappropriate administration of multiple pharmaceutical agents and the possible risk of associated drug abuse and dependence.
确定住院治疗的老年患者中处方药物依赖的患病率，识别药物依赖的明显危险因素，并查明导致这些患者入院的因素。
我们回顾了1974年至1993年间入住梅奥住院成瘾项目的100名依赖处方药的老年患者的病历。
收集并分析人口统计学特征、慢性疾病、物质依赖类别、精神障碍诊断以及明尼苏达多相人格量表数据。
在为期20年的研究中，所有接受治疗的老年患者中，三类物质使用障碍组的年平均入院率如下：仅酒精依赖，72%；处方药物依赖，16%；酒精和药物均依赖，12%。总体而言，该群体社会功能完好。女性似乎是药物依赖的一个危险因素。从几个方面来看，这些老年患者具有精神病患者群体的特征。最常见的药物依赖涉及镇静剂或催眠药。一般医学数据并未表明这些老年患者在身体上比普通人群受损更严重。
对于老年患者，认识到并存的诊断对于避免不恰当地使用多种药物以及相关药物滥用和依赖的潜在风险至关重要。
