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Elderly adults are living longer, and causes of death are shifting. At the same time, autopsy rates are at or near their lowest in history.
The average older adult in the United States takes five prescription drugs per day. Half of these drugs contain a sedative. Alcohol should therefore be avoided by most senior citizens because of the dangerous interactions between alcohol and sedatives.
HIV testing reach is still limited. An estimated 40% of people with HIV (more than 14 million) remain undiagnosed and do not know their infection status.
For pediatric patients, intravenous fluids are the most commonly cited products involved in medication errors that are reported to the USP.
Aspirin is the most widely used drug in the world. It has even been recognized as such by the Guinness Book of World Records.