Prescription of antimicrobials, antidepressants, sedatives, and hypnotics for older adults: a systematic review of clinical practice guidelines

This systematic review of clinical practice guidelines will be conducted with the aim of standardizing the best available clinical recommendations and examining discrepancies across different sources regarding prescriptions of antibiotics, antidepressants, anxiolytics, sedatives, and hypnotics for older adult patients. Accordingly, the study will structure and evaluate the potentially inappropriate use of medications (PIM) among the elderly in the context of dental practice. Finally, the analysis will identify the most effective and safest drugs, as well as the recommended doses and treatment durations for these patients. The research question and search strategy were developed based on the PICOR framework, which facilitates the clear and objective formulation of clinical questions. Accordingly, the study’s research question is: Which antibiotics, antidepressants, anxiolytics, sedatives, and hypnotics are the most effective and safest for use in older adult patients, including optimal dose and duration?