RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN POLYPHARMACY, LENGTH OF HOSPITALIZATION, AND DELIRIUM AMONG HOSPITALIZED ELDERLY PATIENTS

Abstract

Background: Decreased organ function in the elderly is associated with the aging process, which initiates various chronic diseases and increases the risk of polypharmacy. Meanwhile, polypharmacy tends to provoke adverse drug reactions that prolong the treatment period and increases the risk of delirium in elderly patients. Aim: To determine the relationship between polypharmacy, length of hospitalization, and delirium in geriatrics admitted to the Universitas Sumatera Utara Hospital. Method: An observational analytical study with a cross-sectional design was carried out at the Universitas Sumatera Utara Hospital. Patients aged 60 years or older who had 2 or more drugs during hospitalization were enrolled, while those with incomplete medical records were excluded. The demographic and clinical data were gathered, processed, and analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25 software and the P-value of <0.05 was considered signicant. Result: A total of 116 subjects participated in this study and were dominated by males in the 60-69 years age group. A signicant correlation was discovered between polypharmacy and the length of hospitalization (p=0.012). Polypharmacy was detected in 67.2% of subjects, 58.6% had an increased risk of drug interactions, 44% had a prolonged length of hospitalization, and 29.3% experienced altered mental status. This showed that several delirium-related drugs were still prescribed to geriatric patients, namely ranitidine (38.7%) and ketorolac (20.2%). Conclusion: There is a signicant relationship between polypharmacy, length of hospitalization, and delirium in geriatric patients