Community-acquired pneumonia increased in elderly patients receiving antipsychotics

January 01, 0001

Community-acquired pneumonia increased in elderly patients receiving antipsychotics

These Dutch authors evaluated whether typical or atypical antipsychotic use is associated with fatal or nonfatal pneumonia in elderly persons in a population-based, nested case-control study. Cases and controls were from a cohort of persons who used an antipsychotic drug, were 65 years or older, and were registered in the national database from 1996 to 2006. Case patients were all persons with incident community-acquired pneumonia. Up to 20 control participants were matched to each case patient on the basis of age, sex, and date of onset.

They found: "258 case patients with incident pneumonia were matched to 1686 control participants. Sixty-five (25%) of the case patients died in 30 days, and their disease was considered fatal. Current use of either atypical (OR 2.61) or typical (OR 1.76) antipsychotic drugs was associated with a dose- dependent increase in the risk for pneumonia compared with past use of antipsychotic drugs. Only atypical antipsychotic drugs were associated with an increase in the risk for fatal pneumonia (OR 5.97)."

The authors concluded: "The use of either atypical or typical antipsychotic drugs in elderly patients is associated in a dose-dependent manner with risk for community-acquired pneumonia."

More evidence to suggest limiting use of antipsychotics in the demented elderly.


For the full abstract, click here.

Ann Intern Med 152(7):418-425, 6 April 2010
© 2010 to the American College of Physicians
Association of Community-Acquired Pneumonia With Antipsychotic Drug Use in Elderly Patients-A Nested Case-Control Study. Gianluca Trifiro, Giovanni Gambassi, Elif F. Sen, et al. Correspondence to Dr. Trifiro: [email protected]

Category: R Respiratory, N. Neurological. Keywords: community acquired pneumonia, elderly, dementia, anti-psychotic medications, nested case-control study, journal watch.
Synopsis edited by Dr Linda French, Toledo, Ohio. Posted on Global Family Doctor 20 April 2010

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