11. Beers Criteria: Stay Thirsty My Friends...For Knowledge

Lecture Summary
In this podcast I talk about my experiences with adverse drug reactions working as a Hospitalist. I then provide a brief summary of the 2019 American Geriatric Society Beers Criteria. "Beers List" reviews medications which are potentially inappropriate to use in elderly patients.

Key Points
- At least 10% of the patients I admit to the hospital are the direct result of the medications they have been prescribed.
- Bleeding, falls, altered mentation, kidney and electrolyte problems, and overdose are the most common adverse reactions I see in my practice
- The American Geriatric Society publishes a Beers Criteria, every 3 years, to highlight medications that are potentially harmful in elderly patients (> 65 years)
- Avoid mixing multiple medications with strong anticholinergic properties.
- Read this paper if you treat elderly patients!
- I often break these guidelines in my practice, but I try to be aware of potential problems so I can identify adverse reactions quickly and remove culprit medications.

References
Beers Criteria/List. American Geriatric Society. 2019 addition