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Published on: August 30, 2018
Potential drug interactions in intensive care patients at a teaching hospital
Rhanna Emanuela Fontenele Lima1, Silvia Helena De Bortoli Cassiani
1Escola de Enfermagem de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil. rhannalima@gmail.com
Abstract:
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.
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