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The national burden of E-code-identified adverse drug events among hospitalized children using a national discharge

Namita L Tundia1, Pamela C Heaton, Christina M L Kelton

  • 1Health Outcomes and Pharmaceutical Economics, College of Pharmacy, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45267-0004, USA. tundianl@mail.uc.edu

Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety
|May 17, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Pediatric adverse drug events (ADEs) affect nearly 1% of hospitalizations, costing millions and leading to extended stays. Identifying common drug types involved can help reduce medication-related harm in children.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric pharmacology
  • Health services research
  • Patient safety

Background:

  • Adverse drug events (ADEs) are a significant concern in pediatric healthcare.
  • Understanding the scope and impact of ADEs is crucial for improving patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To conduct a national assessment of pediatric ADEs.
  • To identify the types, frequencies, and burdens of ADEs in children.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized the 2006 Kids' Inpatient Database for discharge data analysis.
  • Identified ADEs using ICD-9-CM and supplemental E codes, categorizing them as adverse effects (AEs) or accidental poisonings (APs).
  • Measured burden by excess length of stay and cost, employing regression analysis for predictors.

Main Results:

  • 0.9% of pediatric hospital discharges involved ADEs, totaling 69,620 visits.
  • The national ADE burden was estimated at 104,230 excess days and $252.9 million in direct costs.
  • Common ADEs involved antineoplastic drugs, corticosteroids, analgesics, cardiovascular drugs, antidepressants, and benzodiazepines.

Conclusions:

  • Physicians and administrators can use this data to target strategies for reducing pediatric medication-related harm.
  • Identifying specific high-frequency or high-burden ADEs is key to improving safety.
Abstract

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