Which of the following medications is most appropriate for the treatment of her depression?

A 72-year-old woman suffers from a major depressive episode. She has a history of coronary artery disease, atrial fibrillation on anticoagulation therapy, sick sinus syndrome, glaucoma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Which of the following medications is most appropriate for the treatment of her depression?
A . Amitriptyline
B . Nortriptyline
C . Doxepin
D . Fluvoxamine
E . Escitalopram

View Answer

Answer: E

Explanation:

In older adults, selection of antidepressant medication should be done with various considerations in mind, most notably side effects and risk of drug-drug interactions. The tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), as discussed on question 50, have various side effects including cardiac conduction abnormalities and drug-drug interactions that make them undesirable for the treatment of depression in older adults. A selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor is more favorable than a TCA in this patient. Fluvoxamine has a high risk for drug-drug interactions, whereas escitalopram does not. Fluvoxamine also has high protein binding, and can therefore interact with anticoagulant medications, such a warfarin. Therefore, of the medications listed, escitalopram is the most appropriate in this patient. In older adults, psychotropic medications should be started at a low dose and titrated up slowly to the lowest effective dose.