Potentially Inappropriate Prescribing in Belgian Nursing Homes: Prevalence and Associated Factors.

Our aim was to describe the prevalence of potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) and potential prescribing omissions (PPOs) in Belgian nursing homes and to identify characteristics of residents, general practitioners (GPs), and nursing homes (NHs) that are associated with the number of PIMs and PPOs. A cross-sectional study. and Participants: Nursing home residents (NHRs), aged ≥65 years, not in palliative care were included in 54 Belgian NHs participating in the COME-ON study. Instances of PIMs were detected using a combination of the STOPP v2 and AGS 2015 Beers criteria. Instances of PPOs were detected using START v2. To assess factors associated with the number of PIMs and PPOs, a multivariate binomial negative regression analysis was performed. A total of 1410 residents, with a median age of 87 years, was included. The median number of medications taken was 9. PIMs were detected in 88.3% of NHRs and PPOs in 85.0%. Use of benzodiazepines (46.7%) and omission of vitamin D (51.5%) were the most common PIM and PPO, respectively. The factor most strongly associated with increased PIMs was the use of 5 to 9 drugs or ≥10 drugs [relative risk (RR) (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.27 (1.89, 2.76) and 4.04 (3.37, 4.89), respectively]. The resident's age was associated with both decreased PIMs and increased PPOs. PIMs and PPOs were also associated with some NH characteristics, but not with GP characteristics. Implications: The high prevalence of PIMs and PPOs remains a major challenge for the NH setting. Future interventions should target in priority residents taking at least 10 medications and/or those taking psychotropic drugs. Future studies should explore factors related to organizational and prescribing culture. Moreover, special attention must be paid to the criteria used to measure inappropriate prescribing, including criteria relative to underuse

Potentially Inappropriate Prescribing in Belgian Nursing Homes: Prevalence and Associated Factors

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Our aim was to describe the prevalence of potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) and potential prescribing omissions (PPOs) in Belgian nursing homes and to identify characteristics of residents, general practitioners (GPs), and nursing homes (NHs) that are associated with the number of PIMs and PPOs. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study. SETTING: and Participants: Nursing home residents (NHRs), aged ≥65 years, not in palliative care were included in 54 Belgian NHs participating in the COME-ON study. MEASURES: Instances of PIMs were detected using a combination of the STOPP v2 and AGS 2015 Beers criteria. Instances of PPOs were detected using START v2. To assess factors associated with the number of PIMs and PPOs, a multivariate binomial negative regression analysis was performed. RESULTS: A total of 1410 residents, with a median age of 87 years, was included. The median number of medications taken was 9. PIMs were detected in 88.3% of NHRs and PPOs in 85.0%. Use of benzodiazepines (46.7%) and omission of vitamin D (51.5%) were the most common PIM and PPO, respectively. The factor most strongly associated with increased PIMs was the use of 5 to 9 drugs or ≥10 drugs [relative risk (RR) (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.27 (1.89, 2.76) and 4.04 (3.37, 4.89), respectively]. The resident's age was associated with both decreased PIMs and increased PPOs. PIMs and PPOs were also associated with some NH characteristics, but not with GP characteristics. CONCLUSION: Implications: The high prevalence of PIMs and PPOs remains a major challenge for the NH setting. Future interventions should target in priority residents taking at least 10 medications and/or those taking psychotropic drugs. Future studies should explore factors related to organizational and prescribing culture. Moreover, special attention must be paid to the criteria used to measure inappropriate prescribing, including criteria relative to underuse.status: publishe

Long-term survival of surgically staged IIIA-N2 non-small-cell lung cancer treated with surgical combined modality approach: analysis of a 7-year prospective experience

Background: The aim of this study was to analyse the outcome of surgically staged IIIA-N2 non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with induction chemotherapy followed by surgical exploration. Methods: Univariate and multivariate analyses were carried out on a prospective cohort of 131 mediastinoscopy-proven IIIA-N2 NSCLC patients. Three preoperative cycles of vindesine-ifosfamide-cisplatin (VIP) were given. Patients with at least stable disease (SD) were considered for surgery, or radical radiotherapy in selected cases. Results: The response rate after VIP was 54% (95% confidence interval 45% to 63%) and was important for the final outcome. The median and 5-year survival for the total group were 24 months and 21% (38 months and 30% in responders), respectively. Involvement of subcarinal nodes at diagnosis was the most important prognostic factor (P=0.022). Seventy-five patients were considered for surgery. Downstaging occurred in 34 of 70 resection specimens, with a pathological complete response in six. Median and 5-year survival in the surgical cohort were 45 months and 35%, respectively. Surgery was rewarding both in patients with a response and in those with SD, although the complete resection rate was significantly lower in the latter. On multivariate analysis, favourable prognostic factors were low pathological T-stage (P=0.001) and downstaging of mediastinal nodes in the resection specimen (P=0.008). Conclusions: VIP induction chemotherapy followed by surgical exploration was rewarding in mediastinoscopy-proven stage IIIA-N2 NSCLC, both in cases of response and SD, despite a lower complete resection rate in the latter. Patients with subcarinal nodes at diagnosis (5-year survival 8.5%) or without nodal downstaging at post-induction surgery (13.7%) might preferably be treated with a non-surgical approach

A clinimetric analysis of the Pressure Ulcer Risk Primary or Secondary Evaluation Tool : PURPOSE-T

The assessment of patients' risk for developing pressure ulcers is a routine and fundamental nursing process undertaken to prevent avoidable harm to patients in all care settings. Many risk assessment tools are currently used in clinical practice, however no individual tool is recommended by advisory bodies such as the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence or the European Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel. The evidence base on the value of structured risk assessment tools in reducing the incidence or severity of pressure ulcers is poor. This purpose of this article is to provide a clinimetric analysis of the recently developed Pressure Ulcer Risk Primary or Secondary Evaluation Tool (PURPOSE-T) and identify areas for future research to improve the utility of structured risk assessment in identifying patients at risk of developing pressure ulcers