Study designs of evaluations included in the review
Randomised controlled trials (RCTs), prospective cohort studies and case-control studies were included.
Specific interventions included in the review
Psychotropics and psychoactive medications (benzodiazepines, nonbenzodiazepine sedative-hypnotics, antidepressants and antipsychotics); cardiovascular medications (antihypertensive drugs, diuretics, nitrates); polypharmacy (use of multiple medications); analgesics (opiate agonists, narcotic analgesics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs); and other medication classes (e.g. insulin and/or oral hypoglycaemics, anticonvulsants, antiparkinson drugs, corticosteroids, lovastatin, isoniazid, phenytoin, nitrofurantoin, metoclopramide, amoxapine, cimetidine).
Participants included in the review
Older patients treated with medications listed in the above field (the exact age of patients was not specified in the review). Older people, both hospitalised and in community-dwellings, were included.
Outcomes assessed in the review
The outcome assessed was drug-related falls.
How were decisions on the relevance of primary studies made?
One reviewer summarised the studies in a table.