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You are caring for a group of elderly clients, many of whom are affected with multiple chronic disorders and are also, at times, affected with some acute disorders that require medical and nursing attention. As you are caring for these clients some will need a new medication regimen for an acute disorder. You should consider that fact that the elderly population is at risk for more side effects, adverse drug reactions, and toxicity and over dosages of medications because the elderly have a (n):

  • A

    Increased creatinine clearance.

  • B

    Impaired immune system.

  • C

    Decreased hepatic metabolism.

  • D

    Increased bodily fat.

Correct Response: C

The elderly population is at risk for more side effects, adverse drug reactions, and toxicity and over dosages of medications because the elderly have a decrease in terms of their hepatic metabolism secondary to the hepatic functioning changes of the elderly secondary to a decreased hepatic blood flow and functioning.

The elderly have decreased rather than increased creatinine clearance; the immune system is also decreased in terms of its functioning, however, this change impacts on the elderly’s ability to resist infection rather than impacting a medication’s side effects, adverse drug reactions, toxicity and over dosages; and, lastly, a decrease in terms of bodily fat, rather than an increase in terms of bodily fat impacts on medications. The distribution of drugs is impaired by decreases in the amount of body water, body fat and serum albumin; drug absorption is decreased with the aged patient’s increases in gastric acid pH and decreases in the surface area of the small intestine which absorbs medications and food nutrients.