Inappropriate medication use according to TIME criteria in geriatric outpatients is associated with subsequent intensive care unit hospitalization: A retrospective observational study

IntroductionOne of the foremost problems in geriatric patients is the inappropriate medication use (IMU), and several national and international guidelines have been established to define inappropriate medications, including the Turkish Inappropriate Medication Use in the Elderly (TIME) Criteria. We aimed to evaluate the prevalence of IMU among older adults admitted to the emergency room (ER) and to examine its association with clinical outcomes.Materials and methodsPatients aged 60 years and older admitted to the internal medicine and geriatric medicine outpatient clinics between January and December 2024 were retrospectively screened, and their emergency room admissions were recorded. The IMU was defined according to the TIME-to-STOP criteria.ResultsThis study included 174 older patients, with a mean age of 76.8 +/- 7.7 years and a female representation of 50%. IMU rate was 61.5%. The intensive care unit (ICU) indication was significantly higher in patients with IMU than in those without IMU, with 43.9% of patients with IMU being transferred to the ICU, compared to 28.4% in patients without IMU (p = 0.039). IMU was an independent risk factor for ICU admission among geriatric outpatients, regardless of age, sex, multimorbidity, or polypharmacy (OR: 2.463, 95% CI: 1.027-5.027, p = 0.013).ConclusionIMU was prevalent among older adults admitted to ER, and it was identified as an independent risk factor for ICU admission. These findings underscore the importance of optimizing medication use in geriatric populations to enhance clinical outcomes.

Journal

IRISH JOURNAL OF MEDICAL SCIENCE

Year

2026

ISSN

0021-1265

eISSN

1863-4362

DOI

10.1007/s11845-025-04216-8

WoS UID

WOS:001652430700001