BACKGROUND
Acetaminophen is the most widely used analgesic today. A recent systematic review found increased adverse events and mortality at therapeutic dosage. Our aim was to challenge these results in a large sample of older adults living in nursing homes (NHs).
DESIGN
Prospective study using data from the Impact of Educational and Professional Supportive Interventions on Nursing Home Quality Indicators project (IQUARE), a multicenter, individually tailored, nonrandomized controlled trial in NHs across southwestern France.
SETTING/PARTICIPANTS
We studied data from 5429 participants living in 175 NHs (average age, 86.1 ± 8.1 years; 73.9% women).
MEASUREMENTS
All prescriptions obtained at baseline were analyzed by a pharmacist for acetaminophen use as stand‐alone or associated. Myocardial infarction (MI) and strokes were reported from participants' medical records at 18‐month follow‐up. Dates of death were obtained. Data collection was done through an online questionnaire at baseline and at 18 months by NH staff. Analyses were realized in our total population and a population matched on propensity score of acetaminophen intake. Six models were run for each outcome.
RESULTS
A total of 2239 participants were taking, on average, 2352 ± 993 mg of acetaminophen daily. Results for mortality were: hazard ratio (HR) = 0.97 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.86‐1.10). No associations between acetaminophen intake and the risk of mortality or MI were found. In one of our models, acetaminophen intake was associated with a significant increased risk of stroke in diabetic subjects (OR = 3.19; 95% CI = 1.25‐8.18; P = .0157). [Correction added March 16, 2019, after first publication online. In the previous sentence, “HR” was mistakenly used instead of “OR”.]
CONCLUSION
Despite old age, polypharmacy, and polymorbidity, acetaminophen was found safe for most, but not all, of our NH study population. Pain management in NHs is a health priority, and acetaminophen remains a good therapeutic choice as a first‐line analgesic. More studies are needed on older diabetic patients.
from Wiley: Journal of the American Geriatrics Society: Table of Contents http://bit.ly/2MMTqhU
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