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Adverse drug reactions in children requiring hospital admission

Sanath P Lamabadusuriya1, Githanjali Sathiadas

  • 1Paediatric Unit, Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children, Colombo. deanmedicine@hotmail.com

The Ceylon Medical Journal
|January 23, 2004
PubMed

Insights

Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in children admitted to Lady Ridgeway Hospital (LRH) were studied. Antibiotics were the most frequent cause of ADRs, accounting for 0.16% of admissions.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric pharmacology
  • Clinical drug safety
  • Hospital pharmacovigilance

Background:

  • Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) pose a significant risk in pediatric populations.
  • Understanding local ADR incidence is crucial for patient safety.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the incidence of ADRs in children admitted to Lady Ridgeway Hospital (LRH), Colombo.
  • To identify common causes of pediatric ADRs in a hospital setting.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective, hospital-based descriptive study conducted at the medical units of LRH.
  • Data collected by an on-site investigator from February to December 2002.
  • Naranjo algorithm utilized for ADR causality assessment.

Main Results:

  • A total of 63 admissions were attributed to ADRs during the 11-month study period.
  • Antibiotics were identified as the most common cause of ADRs in pediatric admissions.
  • ADRs represented 0.16% of total pediatric admissions at LRH.

Conclusions:

  • The incidence of ADRs in pediatric admissions at LRH was found to be 0.16%.
  • Antibiotics are a primary contributor to ADRs in hospitalized children at this institution.
  • Findings highlight the need for targeted pharmacovigilance strategies in pediatric care.
Abstract

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