Prevalence of Anticholinergics in Geriatric Patients With Acute Functional Deterioration
Trial statusNot yet recruiting
Trial phaseNot listed
Trial typeObservational
Biological sexAll
AgeNot listed
SponsorAalborg University Hospital
About this trial
This study investigates the anticholinergic burden on patients seen in the Subacute mobile outpatient geriatric clinic in Aalborg, Denmark, between the years of 2024 and 2025.
The age demographic in Denmark and multiple other countries is changing rapidly, with more old and very old individuals as a result. As humans become older, they tend to accumulate more illnesses, and the risk of polypharmacy increases. There is a wide selection of medicine that affect the binding of acetylcholine to the muscarinic receptors, which is either the intended function of the pharmacological product or a side effect.
Since there is no built-in feature in computer systems used by doctors to calculate the cumulative anticholinergic burden, it is often not recognized, thus not reflected upon.
This raises concerns about potential central and peripheral side effects, such as altered mental status, visual disturbances, tachycardia, urinary and fecal retention, dry skin etc.
The study aims to determine the prevalence of anticholinergics in the last 100 patients seen by the Subacute mobile outpatient geriatric clinic in Aalborg University Hospital. The patients are placed in municipal extended-care facilities. Furthermore, the study will investigate the prevalence of anticholinergic side effects concerning the burden on this population.
The study is a retrospective chart review of patient charts from the years of 2024 and 2025, analyzing patient characteristics, comorbidities, medication lists, and calculating the anticholinergic burden through the ACB calculator.
Eligibility criteria
This trial does not accept healthy volunteersQualifiers
patients seen by the Subacute outpatient geriatric clinic at Aalborg University hospital, Denmark, between 2024 and 2025.
Consecutive sampling starting with the most recent patient chart and going backwards.
Inclusion is based on chart review and all patients are therefore included consecutively.
Disqualifiers
None
Trial population
Patient seen by the subactue outpatient geratric clinic at Aalborg University Hospital are older adults who have experienced an acute deterioration of daily function, usually due to acute illness and are admittet to municipality reablement services with the goal of postacute rehabilitation to previous funciton and avoiding nursing home admission. Patients may have been recently discharged from hospital.
Trial design
Design model
Case-control
Time perspective
Retrospective
Treatments tested in this trial
No intervention as the study is observational
Other interventionAs this is an observation study, participants are not assigned an intervention as part of the study
Treatment groups
No treatment groups listed
Trial outcomes
Primary outcomes
1
Prevalence of anticholinergics
Number of patients taking anticholinercis (yes/no) defined by the Anticholingeric Cognitive Burden scale (any score above 0)
Time frame
Day 1. That is on the day of patients first contact with the subacute outpatient geratric function at Aalborg Unviversity HospitalSecondary outcomes
1
Prevalence of central side effects
Prevalence of any of the following conditions as described in patient charts: Delirium, other confusion, restlessness, hallucinations, Amnesia, dysarthria, ataxia, stupor, coma.
Time frame
On the day of patients first contact with the subacute outpatient geratric function at Aalborg Unviversity Hospital2
Prevalence of peripheral anticholinergic side effects
Prevalence of any of the following conditions as described in patient charts: Urinary retention, constipation, tachycardia, visual disturbances, dry skin, dry mouth.
Time frame
On the day of patients first contact with the subacute outpatient geratric function at Aalborg Unviversity HospitalSponsors and contacts
Click on the lead sponsor to view all of their trials.
Source ClinicalTrials.gov
This trial is not recruiting at the moment. You can still explore other options: