Adverse Drug Reactions in Hospital In-Patients
Author Information
Author(s): Emma C. Davies, Christopher F. Green, Stephen Taylor, Paula R. Williamson, David R. Mottram, Munir Pirmohamed
Primary Institution: The Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals Trust
Hypothesis
What is the incidence and impact of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in hospital in-patients?
Conclusion
Approximately one in seven hospital in-patients experience an ADR, which significantly increases their length of stay.
Supporting Evidence
- 14.7% of patient episodes resulted in one or more ADRs.
- ADRs directly increased length of stay in 26.8% of patients.
- Half of the ADRs were definitely or possibly avoidable.
- Patients with ADRs had a median age of 72 years.
- Women experienced significantly more ADRs than men.
Takeaway
Many patients in the hospital can get sick from their medications, and this can make them stay in the hospital longer.
Methodology
Patients admitted to twelve wards were assessed for ADRs over six months, with suspected ADRs recorded and analyzed for causality, severity, and avoidability.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to the study being limited to one hospital and the reliance on clinical staff for reporting ADRs.
Limitations
The study was conducted in one hospital, which may not represent all hospitals due to variations in patient demographics and specialties.
Participant Demographics
The median age of patients was 72 years, with a higher incidence of ADRs in women (17.8%) compared to men (13.5%).
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.0001
Confidence Interval
95% CI 1.09, 1.20
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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