The Consultant pharmacist : the journal of the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists
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Characterize the prevalence and impact of crying and tearfulness as symptoms that may be suggestive of pseudobulbar affect (PBA) in residents of nursing facilities, including those with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and non-AD [non-AD-associated] associated dementia. ⋯ In the absence of an International Classification of Diseases 9th edition, Clinical Modification code, the presence of "crying, tearfulness" on MDS 2.0 item E1m was used as a proxy to identify potential PBA. Nursing facility residents with "crying, tearfulness" had a higher prevalence of all mood and behavior indicators as well as psychopharmacological medication use, compared with matched controls without "crying, tearfulness." Similar results were seen in the subgroup of residents with an underlying diagnosis of AD and/or non-AD dementia. Further research should validate the actual prevalence of PBA in this population, and the corresponding impact on resident outcomes.