Characterization of adverse drug events identified by trigger in Brazilian pediatric inpatients

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Pharmacology
• Patient Safety
• Drug Safety Surveillance

Background:

• Adverse drug events (ADEs) are a significant concern in pediatric healthcare.
• Effective methods for identifying and quantifying ADEs in hospitalized children are crucial for improving patient outcomes.
• Previous studies have varied in their reported rates and characteristics of ADEs in pediatric populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the frequency and characteristics of adverse drug events (ADEs) in pediatric inpatients.
• To evaluate the utility of trigger-based chart review for identifying ADEs in a pediatric setting.
• To provide data for developing strategies to reduce or mitigate ADEs in children.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study using retrospective manual chart review of 240 pediatric admissions.
• Utilized 17 predefined triggers to identify potential adverse drug events (ADEs).
• Events were confirmed by a healthcare team, classified by harm, and associated drugs categorized using the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) Classification system.

Main Results:

• 62 adverse events were identified, affecting 18.8% of pediatric inpatients.
• Adverse event rates were 25.83 per 100 admissions and 2.12 per 1000 drug doses.
• All identified events caused temporary harm, with cardiovascular drugs most frequently involved.

Conclusions:

• Trigger-based review is a valuable method for detecting harm from adverse drug events (ADEs) in pediatric patients.
• The study identified higher ADE rates but lower harm rates compared to previous research.
• Findings support the development of targeted strategies to minimize ADEs and associated harm in pediatric hospital settings.