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Age- and gender-related differences in drug utilisation and adverse drug reaction patterns among patients in a

Nitin Subhashchandra Kunnoor1, Padmini Devi, Deepak Yogesh Kamath

  • 1Department of Pharmacology, St John's Medical College, Bangalore 560034, Karnataka, India. drnitinskunnoor@yahoo.in.

Singapore Medical Journal
|April 26, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Older patients admitted to the coronary care unit (CCU) showed higher drug use and adverse drug reactions (ADRs), but gender did not significantly impact these outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Geriatrics
  • Clinical Pharmacy

Background:

  • Coronary care unit (CCU) admissions involve diverse patient demographics.
  • Understanding age and gender influences on comorbidities, drug use, and adverse drug reactions (ADRs) is crucial for optimizing patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate age- and gender-related disparities in comorbidities.
  • To analyze differences in drug utilization patterns.
  • To examine variations in adverse drug reaction (ADR) profiles among CCU patients.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective cohort study design.
  • Independent review of 574 CCU patient records from Jan-Dec 2008.
  • Analysis of demographic, clinical, and drug prescription data stratified by age (18-59 vs. ≥ 60 years) and gender.

Main Results:

  • No significant gender differences in drug prescription or ADR patterns were observed.
  • Patients aged ≥ 60 years exhibited higher rates of polypharmacy, increased cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular drug prescriptions, and a greater incidence of ADRs.
  • Older patients (≥ 60 years) experienced longer CCU stays, with specific increases in renal and cutaneous ADRs.

Conclusions:

  • Age, particularly ≥ 60 years, is a significant factor associated with increased drug utilization, higher ADR rates, and prolonged CCU stays.
  • Gender did not emerge as a significant differentiator for drug prescription patterns or ADRs in this CCU cohort.
  • The findings highlight the need for age-specific monitoring and management strategies for CCU patients.
Abstract

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