A recent cross-sectional study conducted by Jennifer Flythe, MD, MPH, and colleagues at the University of North Carolina Kidney Center revealed alarming trends in the prescription of QT-prolonging medications with known torsades de pointes (TdP) risk to older dialysis-dependent patients. The study, published in JAMA Network Open, focused on Medicare patients receiving in-center hemodialysis and found that a significant proportion of patients filled prescriptions for these high-risk medications in nonacute settings.
The study reported that 52.9% of patients receiving in-center hemodialysis filled prescriptions for one of the seven most frequently filled QT-prolonging medications with known TdP risk. What was even more concerning was that the majority of these prescriptions (78.6% to 93.9%) were issued outside of an acute care event, with less than 25% occurring within 1 week of such an encounter. This indicates a systemic issue in the prescribing practices for this vulnerable patient population.
Surprisingly, the study found that a significant portion (80.2%) of these risky prescriptions originated from non-nephrologists. This raises questions about the awareness and knowledge of healthcare providers outside of nephrology regarding the risks associated with these medications in patients undergoing hemodialysis. Dr. Flythe highlighted the importance of targeting interventions towards these clinicians to improve patient safety.
Patients undergoing hemodialysis are already at increased risk of drug-related harms due to altered drug metabolism and comorbid conditions. The use of QT-prolonging medications with known TdP risk further exacerbates this risk, as these medications have been linked to a higher risk of sudden cardiac death. Clinicians, therefore, need to be vigilant in performing medication reconciliation and monitoring for potentially interacting medications to prevent adverse outcomes.
Co-author Virginia Wang, PhD, emphasized the importance of better coordination of care and prevention of risky medication prescriptions at the health system level. This includes educating clinicians about high-risk medications, enhancing resources for medication reconciliation, and improving medication monitoring systems. She also stressed the importance of improving information exchange and communication among healthcare providers to ensure the safe prescribing of medications.
Study Limitations and Future Directions
It is essential to note that the study focused on prescription fills rather than actual medication use, which may have limitations in assessing patient adherence and outcomes. The researchers also acknowledged that the analysis was descriptive and did not quantify the associations of prescription fills with adverse outcomes. Future studies should explore prescribing patterns of other potentially harmful medications in dialysis patients, such as opioids, benzodiazepines, sedative hypnotics, and muscle relaxants, to comprehensively address medication safety in this population.
The study sheds light on the concerning prevalence of risky prescriptions of QT-prolonging medications in dialysis patients and highlights the need for interventions to improve prescribing practices and patient safety. Healthcare providers must work collaboratively to enhance medication reconciliation processes, educate clinicians about high-risk medications, and implement systems to prevent adverse drug events in this vulnerable patient population.
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