Use of drugs and adverse reactions in medical inpatients

An one-day survey of 111 medical inpatients admitted to four wards of the Department of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University Hospital was conducted. Its aim was to examine the differences in medication use patterns and incidence of adverse reaction to medication between young and old patients. The mean age and its standard deviation were 43.5 and 18.2 years respectively. Common medications used by these patients were antibiotics, paracetamol, parenteral fluid, peptic ulcer and gastritis remedies, vitamin and mineral supplements, and diuretics. Compared to the young patients, the elderly patients received more prescriptions for cardiovascular drugs and diuretics while receiving fewer prescriptions for vitamin and mineral supplements. Thai elderly medical inpatients had a higher rate of adverse reaction when compared to their young counterparts. Patients who received 6 medications or more were more likely to have an adverse reaction than those who received less than 6 items. The discipline of geriatric medicine may have a role in caring for the elderly patients in medical wards. A cohort study with a larger sample for determining causes or factors associated with adverse drug reactions is needed.