Drug-related acute medical admissions

1 A survey of urgent admissions to a general medical unit in Sheffield in 1978 showed that about 25% of admissions were caused by drug-related illness; 18% by self-poisoning, 3.1% by definite or probable adverse reactions, 3.1% by possible adverse reactions, and 1.4% by non-compliance with drug treatment. These patients accounted for 10.8% of the bed use by patients admitted urgently. 2 Drug-related admissions to the unit did not increase between 1974 and 1980. 3 The use of barbiturates for self-poisoning declined sharply, while that of paracetamol increased steadily. Self-poisoning with dextropropoxyphene appeared to peak in 1978, and then decline. 4 While drug-related illness caused the admission of 81% of all patients under the age of 30 years, they rarely came to harm. Self-poisoning had a high mortality in older patients, and they were also the principal sufferers from adverse drug reactions.