Difficulties in assessing drug/food interactions from chart audit in an elderly barbadian sample group Article

Magnus, MH. (1994). Difficulties in assessing drug/food interactions from chart audit in an elderly barbadian sample group . Journal of Nutrition in Gerontology and Geriatrics, 14(1), 33-43. 10.1300/J052v14n01_03

cited authors

  • Magnus, MH

authors

abstract

  • The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence of potential drug/food interactions among 290 elderly Barbadian outpatients. These fmdimgs indicate that chart audit is insensitive to definite interactions but was able to detect the prevalence of potential interactions (1.38 per outpatient). The risk of potential interactions was sigruficantly higher among outpatients who were older, female, and those who used a larger number of prescribed medications. There were no sigmficant differences in the prevalence of potential interactions among diabetics and nondiabetics. The fmdings indicate that the absence of relevant data onpatients' symptoms, and anthropometric and laboratory measures in more than 80% of patients' charts makes it impossible to assess the prevalence of definite drug/food interactions from chart audit. Weight changes, nutrient levels, and symptoms were the most frequently missing data. Chart audit is therefore an invalid and unreliable approach to estimate definite druglfood medications. © 1994 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

publication date

  • September 26, 1994

published in

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

start page

  • 33

end page

  • 43

volume

  • 14

issue

  • 1