Adverse drug events associated with emergency departments visits

Objective. Adverse drug events (ADEs) are a well-known cause for emergency department visits. The objective of this study is to evaluate the prevalence of these adverse events through an annual multicentcer cross-sectional registry and identify factors associated with new emergency visits within 30 days following discharge.

We conducted a multicenter cross-sectional study in emergency departments of Spanish hospitals. The identification and registration of patients were obtained from the census of patients treated in emergency departments at the end of the of the 5-year registry period. We used a multivariate logistic regression model to evaluate possible risk factors for new emergency visits within 30 days of discharge.

A total of 10,678 patients were evaluated in 53 centers, 785 of whom (7.35%) consulted due to ADEs. Prevalence ranged from 0% up to 14.3%. Antithrombotic drugs were the therapeutic group responsible for the highest number of events, causing 96 of them (25.9%). Regarding AEs, hemorrhagic events (n = 63; 8.1%), followed by episodes of confusion (n = 42; 5.4%), were the most common ones. A total of 86 (23.5%) evaluable patients returned to the emergency department within 30 days of discharge. Chronic prescription of > 10 drugs was associated with a higher risk of new consultations [OR, 1.65 (1.07-2.56)].

ADEs are a common reason for emergency department visits and are associated with a significant number of subsequent visits after discharge. Severe polypharmacy is a risk factor for new emergency visits within 30 days.