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Hospitalised neonates in Estonia commonly receive potentially harmful excipients

Jana Lass1, Kaisa Naelapää, Utpal Shah

  • 1Institute of Microbiology, Tartu University, Tartu, Estonia. jana.lass@kliinikum.ee

BMC Pediatrics
|August 31, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Estonian neonates frequently receive medications containing potentially harmful excipients. This study quantifies exposure to these substances, highlighting the need for better information for healthcare providers.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal pharmacology
  • Drug safety
  • Pharmaceutical sciences

Background:

  • Limited data exists on neonatal exposure to medication excipients.
  • Understanding excipient intake is crucial for neonatal patient safety.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To quantify excipient exposure in Estonian neonates.
  • To classify excipients based on potential neonatal toxicity.
  • To assess the extent of exposure to harmful excipients in neonates.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective cohort study of neonates (<28 days) admitted to two Estonian hospitals.
  • Data collected on prescribed medicines and their excipients.
  • Excipients identified and toxicity classified via literature review.

Main Results:

  • 1961 prescriptions for 348 neonates were analyzed.
  • 123 unique excipients were identified in 83% of prescriptions.
  • 47% of excipients were potentially or known to be harmful; 97% of neonates received at least one such excipient.

Conclusions:

  • Hospitalized neonates in Estonia are commonly exposed to a wide range of medication excipients.
  • There is a need for quantitative excipient data for pharmacists and neonatologists.
  • This information can aid in medicine selection and adverse effect monitoring.
Abstract

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