The Association of Nonmodifiable Patient Factors on Antipsychotic Medication use in the Intensive Care Unit.

We investigated the association of age, sex, race, and insurance status on antipsychotic medication use among intensive care unit (ICU) patients. Retrospective study of adults admitted to ICUs at a tertiary academic center. Patient characteristics, hospital course, and medication (olanzapine, quetiapine, and haloperidol) data were collected. Logistic regression models evaluated the independent association of age, sex, race, and insurance status on the use of each antipsychotic, adjusting for prespecified covariates. Of 27,137 encounters identified, 6191 (22.8%) received antipsychotics. Age was significantly associated with the odds of receiving olanzapine ( Age, sex, race, and insurance status were associated with the use of all antipsychotic medications investigated, highlighting the importance of investigating the potential impact of these prescribing decisions on patient outcomes across diverse populations. Recognizing how nonmodifiable patient factors have the potential to influence prescribing practices may be considered an important factor toward optimizing medication regimens.