The dangers of oral sodium phosphate preparations are fairly well known in the medical community. In 2006 the FDA issued it’s first warning that patients taking oral sodium phosphate preparations are at risk for potential for acute kidney injury. Two years later, over-the-counter preparations of these drugs were voluntarily withdrawn by the manufacturers. Those agents still available by prescription were given black box warnings mainly due to acute phosphate nephropathy that can result in renal failure, especially in older adults. Despite all this talk of oral preparations, little was mentioned about a sodium phosphate preparation that is still available over-the-counter – the Fleet enema.
Why Oral Sodium Phosphate Preparations Are Dangerous
Before we go into the risks of Fleet enemas, lets spend just a couple sentences on why oral sodium phosphate preparations carry significant risks. First, oral sodium phosphate preparations can cause significant fluid shifts within the colon …
Great news for Geriatrics! For the second consecutive year, a geriatrician has been awarded a MacArthur "genius" grant. Last year, Dr. Diane Meier of Mount Sinai Medical Center and the Center to Advance Palliative Care won for her pioneering work in developing palliative care programs in US hospitals. This year, Dr. Mary Tinetti of Yale won for her work in understanding and preventing falls in the elderly. Congratulations! This is well deserved attention to the stars of our field; great press for geriatrics and palliative care; and for the winners $500,000 isn't bad either...
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Of course, a fall, preventable or not, with its many complications, including death, is not at all mundane for the people and families who are affected.