Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 22, 2026

Improved Renal Denervation Mitigated Hypertension Induced by Angiotensin II Infusion
Published on: May 26, 2022
Contribution of renal impairment to potentially preventable medication-related hospital admissions
Anne J Leendertse1, Elisabeth A van Dijk, Peter A G M De Smet
1SIR Institute for Pharmacy Practice and Policy, SIR Institute for Pharmacy Practice and Policy, Leiden, Netherlands. A.J.Leendertse@stevenshof.nl
Background:
Medication errors and renal impairment contribute to severe adverse drug events, which may lead to hospital admission.
Objective:
To determine whether medication errors and renal impairment contribute to hospital admission and examine these errors for strategies to prevent admissions.
Methods:
The 714 medication-related hospital admissions reported in the prospective multicenter study HARM (Hospital Admissions Related to Medication) were analyzed. The patients were divided into 3 groups based on the availability of creatinine levels: group A, the home-monitored group (n = 227); group B, the hospital-monitored group (n = 420); and group C, the unmonitored group (n = 67).
Results:
After assessment, 70 admissions (10%) were considered to be related to a medication error and renal impairment (A, 29; B, 41; C, none). In these 70 patients, 85 errors occurred in group A, 66 errors in group B, and none in group C. Dosing errors were identified in 46 patients (A, 14; B, 32), a drug-drug interaction in 22 patients (A, 13; B, 9), and a drug-disease interaction in 17 patients (A, 10; B, 7).
Conclusions:
Renal impairment and medication errors may lead to medication-related hospital admissions. Monitoring renal function and adjusting pharmacotherapy according to renal function might help to prevent hospital admissions. This can be a strategy for research on how to decrease the number of medication-related hospital admissions.
Related Concept Videos
Drug Dosing in Renal Diseases: Dose Adjustments Based on Drug Clearance and Elimination Rate Constant
Factors Affecting Renal Clearance: Renal Impairment
One condition associated with renal failure is uremia. Uremia is characterized by impaired glomerular filtration and fluid accumulation in the body. This condition hinders the renal clearance of drugs, resulting in drug accumulation and potential...
Renal Failure: Dose Adjustments
Reduced renal clearance and elimination rate are common outcomes of renal impairment. These alterations lead to a prolonged elimination half-life and an altered apparent volume of distribution for drugs. As a result, dosage adjustments are typically necessary to maintain optimal drug levels in the body.
However, dosage adjustments...
Acute Kidney Injury IV: Diagnostic Studies and Prevention
Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Excretion
Drug Dosing in Renal Diseases: Estimation of Glomerular Filtration Rate Based on Serum Creatinine Concentration
