ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: To investigate the prevalence of potential drug interactions at the intensive care unit of a university hospital in Brazil and to analyze their clinical significance. METHODS: This cross-sectional retrospective study included 299 patients who had been hospitalized in the intensive care unit of the hospital. The drugs administered during the first 24 hours of hospitalization, in the 50th length-ofstay percentile and at the time of discharge were analyzed to identify potential drug-drug and drug-enteral nutrition interactions using DRUG-REAXH software. The drugs were classified according to the anatomical therapeutic chemical classification. RESULTS: The median number of medications per patient was smaller at the time of discharge than in the 50th length-of-stay percentile and in the first 24 hours of hospitalization. There was a 70 percent prevalence of potential drug interactions at the intensive care unit at the studied time points of hospitalization. Most of the drug interactions were either severe or moderate, and the scientific evidence for the interactions was, in general, either good or excellent. Pharmacodynamic interactions presented a subtle predominance in relation to pharmacokinetic interactions. The occurrence of potential drug interactions was associated with the number of medications administered and the length of stay. Medications that induced cytochrome P450, drugs that prolong the QT interval and cardiovascular drugs were pharmacotherapy factors associated with potential drug interactions. CONCLUSION: The study showed that potential drug interactions were prevalent in the intensive care unit due to the complexity of the pharmacotherapies administered. The interactions were associated with the number of drugs, the length of stay and the characteristics of the administered medications.
Subject(s)
Adult , Aged , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Drug Monitoring/statistics & numerical data , Pharmaceutical Preparations/adverse effects , Brazil , Cross-Sectional Studies , Drug Interactions , Hospitalization , Intensive Care Units/statistics & numerical data , Pharmacoepidemiology , Retrospective Studies , Risk Factors , Statistics, Nonparametric , Time FactorsABSTRACT
The objective of this study was to evaluate the conditions of use of medicines in patients receiving enteral nutrition at units of University Hospital. The data collection was done using a structured questionnaire, based on patient's clinical files and observation of the nurse aides' routine in the period between January and April of 2009. Results demonstrated that 16.7 percent of the patients needed a feeding tube replacement because of obstructions. Approximately 52 percent of prescribed medicines were in solid form and at least eight medicines administered via feeding tube were recognized to be capable of drug-nutrient interaction in enteral feeding and affected at least one patient each. A conclusion can be drawn that there were prescription errors and inadequacy in techniques of administration of medicines to patients using probes of enteral nutrition.
El presente estudio tuvo como objetivo describir el perfil general de utilización de fármacos en pacientes que usan una sonda de nutrición enteral en un hospital universitario. La recolección de información fue hecha por medio de un formulario estructurado a partir de las fichas clínicas de pacientes internados en el hospital y de la observación de la rutina de los auxiliares de enfermería, en el periodo de enero a abril de 2009. Los resultados demuestran que 16,7 por ciento de los pacientes necesitaron cambio de catéter para nutrición enteral, debido a obstrucción. Aproximadamente 52,0 por ciento de los medicamentos prescritos estaban en la forma farmacéutica sólida y por lo menos ocho medicamentos administrados por sonda fueron reconocidos como capaces de provocar interacción fármaco-nutrición enteral, afectando por lo menos a un paciente. Se concluye que hay errores en la medicación y en las técnicas de administración de medicamentos para la sonda enteral.