Study on Adverse Drug Reactions in Emergency Department
Author Information
Author(s): Patel KJ, Kedia MS, Bajpai D, Mehta SS, Kshirsagar NA, Gogtay NJ
Primary Institution: Seth GS Medical College and KEM Hospital
Hypothesis
What is the prevalence and economic burden of adverse drug reactions presenting to the medical emergency department?
Conclusion
ADRs leading to hospitalization are frequent and constitute a significant economic burden.
Supporting Evidence
- 265 out of 6899 patients had ADRs, which is 3.84%.
- 141 of the 265 patients with ADRs were admitted to the hospital.
- 74.71% of ADRs were of moderate severity.
- 59.62% of ADRs were found to be avoidable.
Takeaway
Sometimes, medicines can make people sick and send them to the hospital. This study found that many of these cases could be avoided with better education.
Methodology
A prospective, observational study of adult patients carried out over a 6 week period in 2005.
Potential Biases
Causality assessment was done independently by physicians on duty, which may have led to inconsistencies.
Limitations
The study was limited to a short duration of 6 weeks and only included adults in the medicine ED.
Participant Demographics
Mean age of patients with ADRs was 40 years.
Statistical Information
Confidence Interval
95% CI 5.37 to 7.11
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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