Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Antipsychotic Drugs Linked to Pneumonia in Elderly

Nursing home patients who take antipsychotic drugs are 60 percent more likely to develop pneumonia in the short term than those who don't take the drugs, a new study shows.

The risk is greatest during the first week after patients start taking the medications and gradually decreases, say Dutch researchers.

"The risk of developing pneumonia is not associated with long-term use, but is the highest shortly after starting the drug," said study authors Dr. Rob van Marum and Dr. Wilma Knol. They warned that "all antipsychotic drugs may be associated with pneumonia in elderly patients."

This is the first study to show an association between pneumonia risk and the use of antipsychotic drugs, which are frequently used to treat psychosis and behavioral problems in elderly patients with dementia and delirium.

The study was published in the current issue of theJournal of the American Geriatrics Society.

READ MORE @ WASHINGTON POST