Week 1 - Health and wellness of the aging adult Flashcards

1
Q

Age related changes

A
  1. reading glasses age 42-50, reduced light to retina, reduced color intensity
  2. increase vestibular sensitivity
  3. fertility decline age 35
  4. increase reaction time
  5. increase sway with eyes closed
  6. reduced ankle jerk reflex
  7. bone density reduction after 50
  8. increase fat, decrease water
  9. brain decrease
  10. reduced sleep pattern/increased wakening
  11. Hearing - decline starts age 12
  12. maximum heart rate reduced, (predisposes to sepsis, HF, pneumonia)
  13. decrease renal perfusion
  14. increase prostate size by 100%
  15. sexual dysfunction
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2
Q

Immunizations recommended for older adults

A

Flu - yearly over 65
Tdap - 1 dose over 65 then every 10 years
Varicella recombinant (shingles) - 2 doses, 2-5 months apart
Pneumovax - 1 dose over age 65
Hep A/B - only for those at high risk, give once

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3
Q

Health promotion for older adults

A

Reduce risk factors for disease through lifestyle modifications

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4
Q

Alcohol in older adults

A
  • Decrease in body water with age causes increase in blood alcohol levels and increase effects with unchanged intake
  • No more than 1 drink per day, no more than 3 drinks on any one given day
  • Can worsen chronic conditions (osteoporosis, memory loss, congestive heart failure, HTN, impaired balance, liver disease)
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5
Q

Medications that interact with alcohol

A
  • Antibiotics
  • Antidepressants
  • Barbiturates
  • Benzos
  • H2 receptor agonists
  • Muscle relaxers
  • Non narcotic pain relievers
  • NSAIDS
  • Opioids
  • Warfarin
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6
Q

CAGE questions for alcohol use

A
  1. Have you ever felt you needed to Cut down on your drinking?
  2. Have people Annoyed you by criticizing your drinking?
  3. Have you ever felt bad or Guilty about your drinking?
  4. Have you ever had a drink first thing in the morning to steady your nerves or get rid of a hangover (Eye-opener)?

*Two or more positive answers is considered a positive outcome.

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7
Q

How do you screen for osteoporosis?

A

Bone mineral density test
- DEXA scan
- Quantitative US of the heel
- Peripheral dexa

Measures calcium and other minerals in bone. Bones containing more minerals are denser, so they tend to be stronger and less likely to break. Bones can become less dense as we age or if we develop certain medical conditions. When too much bone is lost, osteoporosis can develop

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8
Q

FRAX tool

A

Fracture Risk Assessment Tool

an osteoporosis risk assessment test, uses information about your bone density and other risk factors for breaking a bone to estimate your 10-year fracture risk.

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9
Q

DEXA scan recommendations for women

A

DXA scan at least once in women at 65 and over and postmenopausal women with increased risk for fracture

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10
Q

DEXA scan recommendations for men

A

Testing for all men over 70 or aged 50-70 with risk factors

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11
Q

How much calcium to reduce risk of osteoporotic fracture?

A

1200-1500mg calcium supplement spread through the day (max 500mg at once at meal to optimize absorption)

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12
Q

When to do a cognitive health screening?

A

With memory complaints or red flags (decrease in ADLs, difficulty finding words, visual spatial difficulties)

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13
Q

What tool can be used for cognitive health screening?

A

Mini-cog tool–> clock drawing test and three item recall

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14
Q

Breast cancer screening guidelines

A
  • Biennial mammography age 50-74 (after that up to patient and clinician)

Recommended as long as patient has at least 10-year life expectancy

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15
Q

Colon cancer screening recommendations

A

Polyps turn to cancer in 5-10 years and their incidence increases with age

  • Screening ages 50-74
  • FIT or fecal occult blood tests – every 1-3 years
  • Simoidoscopy or CT colonography – every 5 years
  • Colonoscopy – every 10 years
  • Selective screening 75-85
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16
Q

Cervical cancer screening

A

Not needed for those over 65 with adequate screening

  • Continue in patients with high risk
    o Precancerous lesions
    o Immunosuppression
    o HIV/HPV
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17
Q

Prostate cancer screening

A
  • Not recommended unless provider wants to
  • High risk patients
    o Black men
    o Positive family history
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18
Q

Patient education for tobacco use

A

Quitting improves circulation, lowers risk of cancer, stroke, heart attack, improves breathing and BP.

  • Increased risk of flu, pneumonia, respiratory illness, weakens bones, leads to vision loss, development of diabetes, ED, delayed wound healing, gum disease, oral cancer
19
Q

What is the most successful method for quitting smoking?

A

Pharmacotherapy and counselling

Pharm therapy includes
- Bupropion
- Nicotine replacement (gum, inhaler, lozenge, nasal spray or patch, chantix – varenicline
- Side effects – local skin irritation, nasal irritation, mouth soreness, dyspepsia, insomnia

20
Q

5 A’s for patients over 50

A

Assess, advise, agree, assist, arrange

21
Q

How can you reduce polypharamcy?

A
  • Try nonpharmacologic therapies first
  • Verbal and written instructions on how to use medications
22
Q

How does nutrition change in older age?

A
  • Slower metabolism, decline in physical activity, decreased absorption of nutrients from chronic disease
  • Screen for weight loss and malnutrition – contributes to frailty
23
Q

Diet recommendations for older adults

A
  • Protein 12-20% of calories
  • Fiber 14g per 1000 calories consumed (grains, nuts, seeds, fruits, veg)
  • Water – predisposed to dehydration. Thirst sensation is blunted.
  • Vitamins – A, C, E
  • 5 a day
24
Q

Aspirin use in older adults

A
  • Benefits vs risk – benefits outweigh risk when CVD risk is high and bleeding risk low
  • Start when 10 year CVD risk is >15%
  • Continue when 20 year CVD risk is > 10%
  • Stop for 10 year CVD risk >5%, high risk for bleeding or patient preference to avoid bleeding
  • Promote lifestyle interventions – exercise, less alcohol, heart healthy diet, smoking cessation, adequate sleep
25
Q

Physical activity for older adults

A
  • 150 min moderate intensity, 75 minutes vigorous activity weekly
  • Tai chi to reduce fall risk
  • Start with PT for those with balance or gait impairment
  • Helps control chronic illness and promotes brain health
26
Q

Cultural competency

A

a set of congruent behaviors, attitudes and policies that come together in a system, organization or among professionals that enables effective work in cross-cultural situations.

27
Q

Cultural humility

A

Personal lifelong commitment to self-evaluation and self-critique whereby the individual not only learns about another’s culture, but one starts with an examination of her/his own beliefs and cultural identities

28
Q

When choosing a medication what should you consider?

A
  • Pharmacokinetics
  • pharmacodynamics
  • cognitive ability
  • financial constraints
  • functional deficits
  • varying treatment endpoints
  • availability of evidence-based medicine
29
Q

How to prevent polypharmacy?

A

Start low go slow

  • Anticholinergic effects include sedation, confusion, retention, constipation

Screening tools
a. Beers criteria
b. START and STOPP (screening tool of older persons potentially inappropriate prescriptions AND screening tools to alert doctors to the right treatment)

30
Q

BEERS Criteria

A

Drugs have limited effectiveness in the older population or serious risk of adverse events, safer alternatives available
1. Purpose
2. Related to older adults
3. Risks: adverse drug reactions (ADR)

31
Q

Pharmacokinetic changes with age

A

Decline in organ function - enhanced susceptibility to adverse effects

Decreased physiologic reserve (absorption, distribution, metabolism and elimination)

Decreased first pass metabolism (increased drug serum concentration)
- Oral nitrates, beta-blockers, CCBs, estrogens

Decreased rate of absorption (decreased clinical effect)
- Furosemide

Decreased lean mass and total body water (decreased volume of distribution)
- Digoxin, lithium

Increased fat content (increase volume of distribution)
- Diazepam, chlordiazepoxide, flurazepam, alprazolam

Decreased PO intake (decrease serum protein concentration with decreased bintin)

Decreased renal elimination (increase drug half life)
- Aminoglycosides
- Vancomycin
- Digoxin
- Salicylates
-

32
Q

Changes in medication absorption:

A
  • Decreased acidity in the stomach, gastric motility, first pass metabolism
  • Decrease absorption for drugs requiring acidic environment
  • Changes in topical absorption due to skin changes, atrophy, reduced blood flow
33
Q

Changes in medication distribution:

A

Lipophilic medications have a larger volume of distribution, longer elimination phase and prolonged therapeutic/toxic effect
* Phenytoin, valproic acid, diazepam, olanzapine, amiodarone, lidocaine

34
Q

Changes in medication metabolism

A

Body’s process of altering the medication
- Decrease in liver size and blood perfusion

35
Q

Changes in medication elimination

A

Conversion to inactive metabolites in the liver, excretion in bile, or kidney elimination
- Decrease in glomerular filtration rate
- absorption, distribution, metabolism and elimination)
- Decline in organ function ‚ enhanced susceptibility to adverse effects
- Starting dose for more renally excreted drugs should be based on estimate CrCl rate, monitor patients for overdosing/underdosing

36
Q

Pharmacodynamic changes

A

Response of the body to the drug
- Greater response to CNS depressants of benzos and opioids and anticoagulant effects of warfarin and heparin

37
Q

How and when to start/stop a medication

A

Take into account:

  • Patient life expectancy
  • Time until benefit from med
  • Goals of care
  • Treatment targets
38
Q

Guidelines for safe prescribing

A
  • Problems often have more than one cause
  • New complaints or increasing dysfunction most likely from medication adverse events

Prescribing cascade – new complaint assumed to be from disease rather than a drug, leads to addition of new drugs, increasing the risk of adverse events

Pain results in NSAIDS script, raised BP then HTN meds, then needs thiazide diuretics, then gout treatment, metoclopramide –> Parkinsons treatment

Always include medication adverse effects in the differential diagnosis

39
Q

Medication adherence

A

the extent to which a person’s behavior—taking medication, following a diet, and/or executing lifestyle changes, corresponds with agreed recommendations from a healthcare provider

40
Q

Medication compliance

A

Patient adapting to new medication

41
Q

Medication persistence

A

Duration a patient will continue to take the treatment

42
Q

Telehealth Law

A

o Can prescribe controlled substances via telehealth
o Can prescribe buprenorphine to new and existing patients with opioid use disorder via telephone
o Must be in same state

43
Q

Telehealth Security and Privacy

A

o Need to assure privacy and confidentiality
o Meet HIPPA guidelines