Continued potassium supplementation use following loop diuretic discontinuation in older adults: An evaluation of a prescribing cascade relic.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The use of a new medication (e.g., potassium supplementation) for managing a drug-induced adverse event (e.g., loop diuretic-induced hypokalemia) constitutes a prescribing cascade. However, loop diuretics are often stopped while potassium may be unnecessarily continued (i.e., relic). We aimed to quantify the occurrence of relics using older adults previously experiencing a loop diuretic-potassium prescribing cascade as an example.

Methods

We conducted a prescription sequence symmetry analysis using the population-based Medicare Fee-For-Service data (2011-2018) and partitioned the 150 days following potassium initiation by day to assess the daily treatment scenarios (i.e., loop diuretics alone, potassium alone, combination of loop diuretics and potassium, or neithe

SUBMITTER: Wang GH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9957829 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature