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Risk factors for adverse drug reactions in pediatric inpatients: a systematic review

Paulo Henrique Santos Andrade1, Adriano da Silva Santos2, Carlos Adriano Santos Souza2

  • 1Laboratório de Ensino e Pesquisa em Farmácia Social (LEPFS), Departamento de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, Av. Marechal Rondon, S/n - Jardim Rosa Elze, São Cristóvão - SE, Brazil.

Therapeutic Advances in Drug Safety
|June 14, 2017
PubMed

Insights

The number of prescription drugs is a key risk factor for adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in hospitalized children. Further research is needed to fully understand ADR risk factors in this vulnerable patient group.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Pharmacology
  • Drug Safety
  • Clinical Pharmacy

Background:

  • Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) pose a significant risk to pediatric inpatients.
  • Identifying risk factors for ADRs in children is crucial for improving patient safety.
  • Prospective cohort studies are valuable for investigating these risk factors.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically review prospective cohort studies to identify risk factors for ADRs in pediatric inpatients.
  • To synthesize current evidence on factors contributing to ADRs in this population.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic literature search of PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, LILACS, and Web of Science databases.
  • Independent study screening and methodological quality assessment using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale.
  • Data extraction guided by the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) initiative.

Main Results:

  • Increased number of prescription drugs was the sole consistent risk factor across studies.
  • Other identified factors included longer hospital stays, polypharmacy (low- or high-risk drugs), general anesthesia, and oncological diagnoses.
  • Cumulative incidence of ADRs was 16.4%; pharmacists were key in identification, with gastrointestinal disorders being the most common ADR category.
  • Analgesics, antibacterials, and corticosteroids were frequently implicated drug classes.
  • A meta-analysis was not feasible due to data heterogeneity.

Conclusions:

  • Polypharmacy (increased number of prescription drugs) is a primary risk factor for ADRs in pediatric inpatients.
  • Further research is essential to comprehensively identify and address ADR risk factors in this population.
Abstract

Keywords:
childcohort studiesdrug-related side effects and adverse reactionshospitalsrisk factors

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