Abstract
Background: drug-drug interactions are a frequent cause of adverse drug reactions, the use of more than 5 drugs is significantly related to serious interactions. Comorbidities in patients have precipitated the frequency of polypharmacy, which produces an enhanced incidence of morbidity and mortality, hospital stay and costs. Materials and methods: 50 records of hospitalized patients were analyzed in the period from May to July 2019, a search for drug interactions was carried out with the help of Medscape Drug-Interactions Checker and the Drugs Interactions Checker. Results: 68% of the records presented at least one pharmacological interaction, the majority associated with musculoskeletal pathology and abdominal pain syndrome (45 and 29%, respectively). On the other hand, 48% of the interactions were related to the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and the use of opioid pain relievers combined with sedatives or anesthetics. Conclusions: there is a significant incidence in drug interactions, most of them related to poor pain management, however, it is essential to know the pathophysiology of each patient's disease, and to understand that the benefit must be greater than the risk when indicating the best therapy for the patient.
Highlights
Drug-drug interactions are a common cause of adverse drug reactions, and are more serious in elderly patients, patients with multiple comorbidities, and patients subjected to polypharmacy
Of the 50 clinical files that were analyzed we found 33 (68%) records with at least one drug-drug interaction and 16 (32%) that did not present any interactions (Fig. 1a)
Our results show (Fig. 1b) that most of the prescriptions were related to muscle-skeletal trauma and acute abdomen-type pathologies, which tend to cause severe pain, and in some instances require surgery. As such it was expected to find an intense use of NSAIDs, analgesics/anesthetics and strong anti-inflammatory drugs that can counteract pain, like corticosteroids
Summary
Drug-drug interactions are a common cause of adverse drug reactions, and are more serious in elderly patients, patients with multiple comorbidities, and patients subjected to polypharmacy. In a multicenter retrospective observational study, it was identified that up to 30% of patients in the intensive care units are exposed to DDi's, most frequently observed in drugs that increase the QT interval, digoxin and NSAIDs (non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs) [5]. A search for drug-drug interactions was carried out in patients of the Sociedad Española de Beneficencia hospital in Pachuca, Hidalgo, based on clinical records in order to determine the incidence of such problem, and to identify the most common flawed prescriptions.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
