Dataset Information

Effects of polypharmacy on adverse drug reactions among geriatric outpatients at a tertiary care hospital in Karachi: a prospective cohort study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) present a challenging and expensive public health problem. Polypharmacy is defined according to the WHO criteria as the, "concurrent use of five or more different prescription medication". Elderly are more prone to adverse reactions due to comorbid conditions, longer lists of medications and sensitivity to drug effects. The aim of the study is to estimate the incidence and strength of association of ADRs due to polypharmacy among the geriatric cohort attending outpatient clinics at a tertiary care center.

Methods

A hospital based prospective cohort study was conducted at ambulatory care clinics of Aga Khan University Hospital April 2012 to March 2013. One thousand geriatrics patients (age ? 65 years) visiting ambulatory clinics were identified. They were divided on the basis of exposure (polypharmacy vs. no polypharmacy). We followed them from the time of their enrollment (day zero) to six weeks, checking up on them once a week. Incidence was calculated and Cox Proportional Hazard Model estimates were used.

Results

The final analysis was performed on 1000 elderly patients. The occurrence of polypharmacy was 70% and the incidence of ADRs was 10.5% among the study cohort. The majority (30%) of patients were unable to read or write. The use of herbal medicine was reported by 3.2% of the patients and homeopathic by 3%. Our Cox adjusted model shows that polypharmacy was 2.3 times more associated with ADRs, con-current complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) was 7.4 times and those who cannot read and write were 1.5 times more associated with ADRs.

Conclusion

The incidence of ADRs due to poly pharmacy is alarmingly high. The factors associated with ADRs are modifiable. Policies are needed to design and strengthen the prescription pattern.

SUBMITTER: Ahmed B

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4234513 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Effects of polypharmacy on adverse drug reactions among geriatric outpatients at a tertiary care hospital in Karachi: a prospective cohort study.

Ahmed Bilal B Nanji Kashmira K Mujeeb Rakshinda R Patel Muhammad Junaid MJ

PloS one 20141117 11

<h4>Background</h4>Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) present a challenging and expensive public health problem. Polypharmacy is defined according to the WHO criteria as the, "concurrent use of five or more different prescription medication". Elderly are more prone to adverse reactions due to comorbid conditions, longer lists of medications and sensitivity to drug effects. The aim of the study is to estimate the incidence and strength of association of ADRs due to polypharmacy among the geriatric coh ...[more]

PMID: 25402452

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Project description:BackgroundAdverse drug reactions (ADRs) contribute to the burden of disease globally and of particular concern are ADR-related hospital admissions.ObjectivesThis study sought to determine the burden, characteristics, contributing factors and patient outcomes of ADRs that were the primary diagnosis linked to hospital admission among inpatients in Uganda.DesignWe conducted a cross-sectional secondary analysis of data from a prospective cohort study of adult inpatients aged 18 years and older at Uganda's Mulago National Referral Hospital from November 2013 to April 2014.MethodsWe reviewed clinical charts to identify inpatients with an ADR as one of the admitting diagnoses and, if so, whether or not the hospital admission was primarily attributed to the ADR. Logistic regression was used to determine factors associated with hospital admissions primarily attributed to ADRs.ResultsAmong 762 inpatients, 14% had ADRs at hospital admission and 7% were primarily hospitalized due to ADRs. A total of 235 ADRs occurred among all inpatients and 57% of the ADRs were the primary diagnosis linked to hospital admission. The majority of ADRs occurred in people living with HIV and were attributed to antiretroviral drugs. HIV infection [aOR (adjusted odds ratio) = 2.97, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.30-6.77], use of antiretroviral therapy (aOR = 5.46, 95% CI: 2.56-11.68), self-medication (aOR = 2.27, 95% CI: 1.14-4.55) and higher number of drugs used (aOR = 1.13, 95% CI: 1.01-1.26) were independently associated with hospital admissions attributed to ADRs.ConclusionAntiretroviral drugs were often implicated in ADR-related hospital admissions. HIV infection (whether managed by antiretroviral therapy or not), self-medication and high pill burden were associated with hospital admissions attributable to ADRs. The high HIV burden in Sub-Saharan Africa increases the risk of ADR-related hospitalization implying the need for emphasis on early detection, monitoring and appropriate management of ADRs associated with hospital admission in people living with HIV.

Project description:BackgroundAdverse drug reactions (ADRs) are common in older adults and frequently have serious clinical and economic consequences. This study was conducted as a feasibility study for a randomized control trial (RCT) that will investigate the efficacy of a software engine to optimize medications and reduce incident (in-hospital) ADRs. This study's objectives were to (i) establish current incident ADR rates across the six sites participating in the forthcoming RCT and (ii) assess whether incident ADRs are predictable.MethodsThis was a multicentre, prospective observational study involving six European hospitals. Adults aged ⩾ 65 years, hospitalized with an acute illness and on pharmacological treatment for three or more conditions were eligible for inclusion. Adverse events (AEs) were captured using a trigger list of 12 common ADRs. An AE was deemed an ADR when its association with an administered drug was adjudicated as being probable/certain, according to the World Health Organization Uppsala Monitoring Centre causality assessment. The proportion of patients experiencing at least one, probable/certain, incident ADR within 14 days of enrolment/discharge was recorded.ResultsA total of 644 patients were recruited, evenly split by sex and overwhelmingly of White ethnicity. Over 80% of admissions were medical. The median number of chronic conditions was five (interquartile range 4-6), with eight or more conditions present in approximately 10%. The mean number of prescribed medications was 9.9 (standard deviation 3.8), which correlated strongly with the number of conditions (r = 0.54, p < 0.0001). A total of 732 AEs were recorded in 382 patients, of which 363 were incident. The majority of events were classified as probably or possibly drug related, with heterogeneity across sites (χ2 = 88.567, df = 20, p value < 0.001). Out of 644 patients, 139 (21.6%; 95% confidence interval 18.5-25.0%) experienced an ADR. Serum electrolyte abnormalities were the most common ADR. The ADRROP (ADR Risk in Older People) and GerontoNet ADR risk scales correctly predicted ADR occurrence in 61% and 60% of patients, respectively.ConclusionThis feasibility study established the rates of incident ADRs across the six study sites. The ADR predictive power of ADRROP and GerontoNet ADR risk scales were limited in this population.

Project description:Background and Objectives:The drugs most commonly implicated in major potential interactions are those used in the day-to-day clinical management of elderly patients with chronic diseases. This study is planned to evaluate the profile of drug-drug interactions in the medications prescribed to elderly population and also to identify the possible predictors for potential drug-drug interactions in the elderly. Methods:This cross-sectional study included patients aged above 60 years with a minimum of two drugs in the prescriptions. Data were collected from medical prescriptions and patients' medical records. The data collected included demographic characteristics such as age, gender, height, weight, educational status, socioeconomic status, medical history, and medications prescribed. The prescriptions were analyzed for the potential drug interactions using Lexi-Interact™ Online, an online software to check drug-drug interactions. Results:A total of 209 patients were included in the study, among them 104 (49.8%) were males and 105 (50.2%) were females. The mean number of medications received was 6.53?±?2.15 per prescription. Around 138 (66%) patients received more than six medications. The mean number of potential drug interactions seen in the prescription of these patients was 3.17?±?2.78. Around 18.2% patients had more than five drug interactions. Major drug interactions were observed in 21.42% of cases. Around 3.02% of drug interactions belonged to risk category X, i.e., to be avoided. Logistic regression analysis showed that age above 70 years was associated with the presence of drug interactions. Increased number of medication was independently associated with the occurrence of drug interactions. The presence of drug interactions was not associated with increased number of comorbidities. Conclusion:A significant number of potential drug-drug interactions were seen in the prescriptions of elderly patients. Increasing age and polypharmacy were identified as the predictors of potential drug interactions.

Dataset Information

Effects of polypharmacy on adverse drug reactions among geriatric outpatients at a tertiary care hospital in Karachi: a prospective cohort study.

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Publications

Effects of polypharmacy on adverse drug reactions among geriatric outpatients at a tertiary care hospital in Karachi: a prospective cohort study.

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