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Published on: January 16, 2019

Adverse drug events in a paediatric intensive care unit: a prospective cohort

Dafne C B Silva1, Orlei Ribeiro Araujo, Rodrigo G Arduini

  • 1Faculty of Medicine, Instituto da Criança, University of Sao Paulo, FMUSP, Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil.

BMJ Open
|February 22, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Adverse drug events (ADEs) are common in pediatric intensive care, with multiple medications and younger age increasing risk. Early detection through active chart review is crucial.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Intensive Care Medicine
  • Clinical Pharmacology
  • Patient Safety

Background:

  • Adverse drug events (ADEs) pose a significant risk to pediatric patients in intensive care settings.
  • Identifying risk factors and early detection methods for ADEs is critical for improving patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To characterize ADEs in children within a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU).
  • To identify risk factors associated with ADEs and explore early detection tools.
  • To assess the impact of ADEs on length of stay (LOS).

Main Methods:

  • A prospective observational study was conducted in a tertiary care teaching hospital's PICU.
  • Data were collected from 239 pediatric patients (mean age 67.5 months) using active chart and electronic record review with specific triggers.
  • Statistical analysis included linear and logistic regression to identify risk factors and correlations.

Main Results:

  • 35.1% of patients experienced 110 ADEs, with antibiotics, diuretics, and antiseizure medications being most frequently implicated.
  • The number of drugs administered was strongly correlated with both ADE occurrence (p<0.0001) and LOS.
  • Younger patients (under 48 months) had a significantly higher risk of ADEs (OR 1.84, p=0.025).

Conclusions:

  • Polypharmacy and younger age are significant risk factors for ADEs in the PICU.
  • The active surveillance method employed offers a systematic approach for detecting ADEs.
  • Further research may be needed to confirm the impact of ADEs on LOS in this population.
Abstract

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