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D Z Lesseig

Publications and source records attributed to D Z Lesseig.

4 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1998

Pharmacotherapy for long-term care residents with dementia-associated behavioral disturbance.

The Nursing Home Reform Amendments of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (OBRA) of 1987 have resulted in specific mandates for documentation regarding behavioral indication for psychotropic drugs and the monitoring of their efficacy and side effects. The national guidelines also require drug holidays, behavioral management in lieu of drugs when possible, systematic dosage reductions unless contraindications are documented, and an overall reduction of drugs considered unnecessary. This article describes OBRA 87 guidelines for benzodiazepine and antipsychotic drug use in long-term care facilities. Specific pharmacological interventions for persons with behavioral disturbances associated with dementia, the phenomena most significantly affected by these federal guidelines, are summarized.

Aged↗
PubMed1996

Primary care diagnosis and pharmacologic treatment of depression in adults.

Depression is a common clinical problem seen in primary care. Despite a high prevalence of depression in patients of all ages, it is underdiagnosed and undertreated by primary care and other nonpsychiatric health care providers-the practitioners most likely to see the patient initially, greater than 50% of the time. Differentiating depression and physical illness is difficult and often comorbidity confounds the problem. Diagnostic criteria for depression are presented along with tips for assessment of suicide risk. Laboratory screening should be done as part of the diagnostic process to document certain changes in physiological parameters related to depression. The choice of treatment for depression includes psychotherapy, medication, ECT, or combined treatment with medication and psychotherapy. The result of managed care is that primary providers are more often responsible for medication management of depression than they were in the past. An overview of antidepressant pharmacotherapeutics for primary care is presented.

Adult↗