ABSTRACT
We investigated the frequency of ADRs occurring during one year (1995) in a French regional cancer institute. Patients with at least one ADR leading to or occurring during hospitalization in the institute were identified by searching diagnosis codes potentially related to an adverse drug reaction in the hospital medical database of the PMSI (Programme de médicalisation des Systèmes d'Information). We found 435 hospitalizations relative to 285 patients (6.2 per cent of the whole population of inpatients in 1995 and 3.1 per cent of stays in 1995). The total cost to treat ADRs was 1.7 per cent of the total budget of the hospital with a median cost of 8517 francs (mean cost: 13,271 +/- 15,330 francs). The highest cost was due to medical staff, blood transfusions, and anti-infectious drugs, despite the use of prophylactic agents. These results emphasize the high incidence and excess costs of ADRs related to anticancer chemotherapy.
Subject(s)
Antineoplastic Agents/adverse effects , Cancer Care Facilities/statistics & numerical data , Adult , Adverse Drug Reaction Reporting Systems , Aged , Cancer Care Facilities/economics , Case Management , Databases, Factual , Diagnosis-Related Groups , Drug Utilization , Female , France/epidemiology , Hospital Costs , Humans , Incidence , Inpatients , Male , Middle Aged , Neoplasms/drug therapy , Neoplasms/economicsABSTRACT
In France, radiopharmaceuticals have been considered as drugs since 1992. Few adverse reactions with radiopharmaceuticals were described in the literature. Some authors have reported a rate of 1 to 6 reactions per 100,000 injections. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the prevalence of radiopharmaceutical-induced side effects. A prospective survey was performed from November 1993 to May 1995 (during 18 months) in the Department of Nuclear Medicine of the University Hospital in Toulouse. There were 14,794 injections of radiopharmaceuticals (99mTc-phytate, 99mTc-microspheres of serum albumin, 99mTc-dimercapto-succinic acid (DMSA), 99mTc-hydroxymethyldiphosphonate (HMDP), 99Tc-colloid, 99mTc, 99mTc-sestamibi, Thallium-201). Three side effects were reported: one case of necrosis at the injection site, one case of vomiting and one case of dizziness. All the cases occurred with Tc99m-pyrophosphate. According to the WHO definition, the first side effect was classified as 'serious'. The causal relationship was unlikely for the first and second case and probable for the third. The outcome of these side effects was always favorable.
