BACKGROUND: The prevalence of @entity955 ( @entity955 ) increases dramatically with advancing @entity1 age, and, as a result, this condition is common in @entity1 residing in the long-term care setting. OBJECTIVES: To assess the knowledge and attitudes of physicians regarding the use of @entity1229 for @entity64 prevention in @entity1 with @entity955 in long-term care facilities. METHODS: We surveyed physicians actively providing primary care to older @entity1 in 30 long-term care facilities located in New England, Quebec, and Ontario. Physicians were requested to complete a structured questionnaire about use of @entity1229 therapy for @entity64 prevention in @entity1 with @entity955 residing in long-term care facilities. The questionnaire included two clinical scenarios designed to provide substantial contrasts in @entity1 characteristics including underlying comorbidity, functional status, @entity548 risk, and @entity64 risk. RESULTS: A total of 269 physicians were asked to participate in the survey, and 182 (67.7%) completed the questionnaire between February 1, 1995, and July 31, 1995. Only 47% of respondents indicated that the benefits of @entity1229 therapy "greatly outweigh the risks" in this setting; the remainder of physicians indicated that benefits only "slightly outweigh the risks" (34%) or that risks "outweigh benefits" (19%). The most frequently cited contraindications to @entity1229 use were: excessive risk of falls (71%), history of @entity360 (71%), history of other @entity6220 (36%), and history of @entity548 (25%). Among the 164 physicians who reported using the international normalized ratio to monitor @entity1229 therapy, 27% indicated a target range with a lower limit less than 2, 71% indicated a target range between 2 and 3, and 2% indicated an upper limit greater than 3. Among respondents who answered questions about the two clinical scenarios, estimates of the risk of a @entity64 without @entity1229 therapy and the risk of an @entity932 with therapy varied widely. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that many uncertainties surround the decision to prescribe @entity1229 to @entity1 with @entity955 in the long-term care setting, as well as questions about the appropriate intensity of this treatment when it is prescribed. Concerns about the risks of @entity548 appear to prevail over @entity64 prevention when physicians make such prescribing decisions.

Physician attitudes concerning XXXX for @entity64 prevention in @entity955 : results of a survey of long-term care practitioners.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['patients', 'patient', 'persons'] @entity6220 :: ('MESH:D020279', 'Disease') :: ['non-central nervous system bleeding'] @entity64 :: ('MESH:D020521', 'Disease') :: ['stroke'] @entity932 :: ('MESH:D020300', 'Disease') :: ['intracranial hemorrhage'] @entity548 :: ('MESH:D006470', 'Disease') :: ['bleeding', 'cerebrovascular hemorrhage'] @entity955 :: ('MESH:D001281', 'Disease') :: ['atrial fibrillation', 'AF'] @entity360 :: ('MESH:D006471', 'Disease') :: ['gastrointestinal bleeding'] @entity1229 :: ('MESH:D014859', 'Chemical') :: ['warfarin']
@entity1229 :: (MESH:D014859,Chemical) :: ['warfarin']
