Drug Interaction in the Elderly: Beware the Antibiotics

Douglas S. Paauw, MD

August 03, 2015

Why Is This Elderly Woman Feeling Poorly?

An 83-year-old woman with type 2 diabetes mellitus is brought in for evaluation for altered mental status. She has been feeling poorly for the past 2 weeks, and has been undergoing treatment for presumed Helicobacter pylori gastritis and a urinary tract infection. Her current medications are bismuth subsalicylate, glyburide, sitagliptin, omeprazole, amoxicillin, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (TMP/SMX), and lisinopril.

Laboratory test results include the following:

Sodium: 132 mEq/mL
Potassium: 5 mEq/mL
Chloride: 100 mEq/mL
Glucose: 30 mg/dL

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Cite this: Douglas S. Paauw. Drug Interaction in the Elderly: Beware the Antibiotics - Medscape - Aug 03, 2015.

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