Potential drug interactions in intensive care patients at a teaching hospital
This study assessed potential drugs interactions in intensive care patients at a university hospital in Ceará, northeast Brazil. Of 102 patients studied, 72.5% were exposed to 311 potential drug-drug interactions; 64% of them were females aged 60 years or more and hospital stay was at least 9 days. A statistically significant association was found between number of drugs used and the occurrence of drug interactions. A total of 1,140 drugs were scheduled to be administered concomitantly; of these, 74% had potential for drug interactions. As for the classification of these events, 48.2% had a pharmacokinetic profile; 55.4% were of slow onset; 54.7% had moderate severity; and 60.6% were well-documented in the literature. The most common clinical action taken was "to monitor signs and symptoms". Nursing staff can perform 80% of preventive actions to avoid undesirable effects of drug interactions. However, nurses need to have adequate knowledge about drug action mechanisms and triggering factors associated to drug interactions.
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Digital revista |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Escola de Enfermagem de Ribeirão Preto / Universidade de São Paulo
2009
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| Online Access: | http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0104-11692009000200013 |
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