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This study examined the proportion of hospitalizations associated with adverse medication events (AMEs) for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and adults from the general population in the United States using the 2013 National Inpatient Sample (NIS) dataset of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP). Adults with IDD had greater odds of having a hospitalization associated with an AME than the general adult population. Unadjusted odds ratios (95% CI) for hospitalization due to any medication for IDD was 2.47 (2.31-2.65). In the multivariate logistic regression model, IDD was significantly associated, with an odds ratio of 1.28 (1.19-1.38). Adults who have IDD are at greater risk of having a hospital admission due to an AME.

Background: More than 1.3 million emergency department visits have been associated with adverse drug events (ADEs) in older adults. Increasing Alzheimer's disease (AD) prevalence in the geriatric population poses an additive risk of ADEs because of the array of psychotropic medications prescribed for AD patients. Scant research has been conducted at a nationwide level on psychotropic-related ADEs in this population. Objective: This study aimed to determine the incidence and economic burden of psychotropic ADEs in the geriatric AD population compared with the non-AD geriatric population. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted of geriatric AD patients who visited the ED in 2013 with a psychotropic-related ADE to determine the incidence and resource utilization of these events. The relationship between presence of AD and an ADE was analyzed using multiple logistic regression. Results: There were 427 969 Alzheimer's ED visits compared with 20 492 554 ED visits without. Of the AD cases, 1.04% were associated with at least 1 adverse event. AD cases more frequently were admitted as inpatients (64.90% vs 34.92%, P < 0.01). Common drug classes associated with AD-related ADEs were benzodiazepines, antipsychotics, and autonomic nervous system-affecting agents (adrenergic agonists, antimuscarinic agents, anticholinergic agents). There was a significantly higher likelihood for Alzheimer's cases to experience any psychotropic-related adverse event (OR = 1.66; 95% CI = 1.20, 1.82). Conclusion and Relevance: Alzheimer's patients more frequently experienced psychotropic-related adverse events and related adverse outcomes than older adults without Alzheimer's. Application of these findings should be implemented in protocol development to reduce future psychotropic-related adverse outcomes for this population.

Purpose: Results of a study of medication-related problems (MRPs) associated with lithium use on nonpsychiatric inpatient medical units are reported., Methods: In a single-center, retrospective study, the records of all patients hospitalized over a 21-month period who received lithium or had a documented serum lithium concentration during hospitalization were evaluated. The primary objective was to identify patient-specific factors associated with lithium MRPs on nonpsychiatric inpatient medical units. Secondary objectives included characterization of lithium MRPs. Identified MRP occurrences were further evaluated to determine if an intervention was necessary to resolve the MRP and whether or not an intervention was made., Results: A total of 150 patients were included in the study sample. One or more lithium MRPs were identified in 85% of the patients, with a total of 255 lithium MRPs identified. None of the patient-specific factors analyzed were significantly associated with MRP occurrence. Of the 128 patients in whom a lithium MRP occurred, 92.2% (n = 118) were judged to be appropriate candidates for interventions as defined per the study definitions; among those 118 patients, such interventions were documented for only 40.7% (n = 48)., Conclusion: Lithium MRPs were found to have occurred frequently on nonpsychiatric inpatient medical units at 1 hospital. Laboratory test- related MRPs and drug-drug interactions were the most commonly identified types of MRPs. Interventions to address MRPs were not made in the majority of patients; however, interventions were more frequently made when psychiatry consultation was involved., (Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists 2019.)

Background: Adverse drug events (ADEs) are common; however, there are limited data on the impact of ADEs on post-discharge outcomes., Objectives: To identify ADEs responsible for readmission within 6 months of hospital discharge in the United States. Secondary objectives were to examine whether demographic, clinical, and hospital characteristics were associated with ADE readmission., Methods: We identified all adults hospitalized between January and June using the 2014 Nationwide Readmission Database. Nationally representative estimates of hospitalization outcomes and ADE-related readmissions, excluding ADEs from illicit drug use and intentional overdose, were computed using survey weighting methods. Associations between patient, clinical, and hospital characteristics, and ADE readmission were assessed using unconditional logistic regression., Results: We identified 10 889 282 hospitalizations meeting inclusion criteria. The 6-month readmission rate was 17.8% (n = 1 943 111). A total of 6964 readmissions were attributed to an ADE, most frequently "poisoning by opiates and related narcotics" (18.3%), "poisoning by benzodiazepines" (11.9%), and "dermatitis due to drugs and medicines taken internally" (9.4%). Factors identified as being positively associated with ADE readmission included age <60 years (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.69; 95% CI = 1.45-1.97), Medicare insurance (AOR = 2.93; 95% CI = 2.55-3.38), and discharge to home health care (AOR = 1.42; 95% CI = 1.28-1.59). Conclusion and Relevance: Readmissions caused by ADEs are frequently attributed to opiate and benzodiazepine poisonings, and factors such as age, insurance status, and discharge disposition were found to be associated with ADE readmission. Future studies are needed to examine whether ADE readmissions are preventable.

This study aimed to determine incidence, risk factors of unplanned hospital visits children receiving chemotherapy. The study was conducted with 65 children. Data were collected using form consisting of questions regarding causes of their unplanned hospital visits. Chi-square test were used analysis of data. Three quarters of children receiving chemotherapy were determined to have unplanned hospital visits, majority of them were found to be admitted. Knowing high-risk factors for unplanned hospital visits and admissions of children receiving chemotherapy and applying appropriate interventions for discharge education and home care regarding these factors may contribute to reduce unplanned hospital visits.

Background: Adverse drug reaction (ADR) is a leading but under-recognised cause of illness, particularly in frail subjects with multiple comorbidities., Aim: To investigate the frequency, patterns and outcomes of ADR as a cause of hospitalisation in elderly patients admitted to an internal medicine ward., Methods: We performed a retrospective observational study including every patient aged over 65 years who was admitted to our department during a 12-month period. Patients admitted to short-stay (<24 h) observation unit were excluded., Results: ADR accounted for 106 of total 1750 recorded admissions, which constituted a proportion of 6.1% (95% confidence interval 5.0-7.3%). The median age of patients was 83.5 (78.0-87.0) years and 56.6% were on polypharmacy. A total of 170 ADR was recorded with 45.3% of subjects experiencing concomitantly more than one ADR from a single molecule. Diuretics were the most commonly imputed molecules (30 events, 17.6%), followed by antithrombotics (25 events, 14.7%) and central nervous system-active drugs (16 events, 9.4%). Interactions were judged responsible for 39 cases of ADR (36.8%). An unfavourable outcome was observed in about one-third of patients (37.7%). Among those subjects, 11 (10.4%) died and 29 (27.4%) had residual disability., Conclusion: ADR are a common cause of hospital admission in elderly patients and are often associated with adverse outcomes. Our data underline the need of appropriate strategies aimed at identifying high-risk patients and avoiding potentially preventable drug toxicities., (© 2018 Royal Australasian College of Physicians.)

Background: Adverse drug reactions (ADR) are a common reason for emergency room visits and for hospitalization. An ADR is said to have occurred when the patient's symptoms and signs are considered to be possibly, probably, or definitely related to the intake of a drug., Methods: In four large hospital emergency departments, one in each of four German cities ( Ulm, Fürth, Bonn, and Stuttgart), the percentage of suspected ADR cases among all patients presenting to the emergency room was determined during a 30-day period of observation. ADRs were ascertained by screening the digital records of all patients seen in the emergency room; causality was assessed as specified by the WHO-UMC (Uppsala Monitoring Center)., Results: ADR were sought in a total of 10 174 emergency department visits. 665 cases of suspected ADR were found, yielding a prevalence of 6.5%. The prevalence of ADR among patients with documented drug intake was 11.6%. Among the patients with documented suspected ADRs, 89% were hospitalized (in contrast to the 43.7% hospitalization rate in the entire group of 10 174 emergency department visits). A possible causal relationship between the patient's symptoms and signs and the intake of a drug was found in 74-84% of cases. Patients with ADR were found to be taking a median of 7 different drugs simultaneously., Conclusion: Adverse drug reactions are a relevant cause of emergency department visits, accounting for 6.5% of the total visits in this study, and often lead to hospital admission. The ADRED (Adverse Drug Reactions in Emergency Departments) study, which is now being conducted, is intended to shed further light on their causes, patient risk factors, and potential avoidability.

Objective: To determine prevalence of admissions due to an adverse drug reaction (ADR) and determine whether or not admission was avoidable, and what drugs and risk factors were implicated., Design: Cross-sectional observational study., Study Sample: All patients hospitalized in an acute geriatric unit during the period January 2001 to December 2010 were studied., Measurement: To determine whether admissions were due toADR, we used the World Health Organization-Uppsala Monitoring Centre criteria and the Naranjo scale. Beers criteria were used to detect potentially inappropriate medication., Results: A total of 3,292 patients (mean age 84.7 years, 60.1% women) were studied. Of these, 197 (6%) were admissions for ADR and nearly three quarters (76.4%, 152 cases) were considered avoidable admissions. The 5 most frequent drugs associated with admissions for ADR were digoxin, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, benzodiazepines, diuretics and antibiotics. Independent risk factors for admissions for ADR were being female (OR 1.84; 95% CI 1.30-2.61), inappropriate medication according to Beers criteria (OR 4.20; 95% CI 2.90-6.03), polypharmacy (>5 drugs) (OR 1.50; 95% CI 1.04-2.13), glomerular filtration rate<30mL/min (OR 3; 95% CI 2.12-4.23) and sedative use (OR 1.40; 95% CI 1-1.91)., Conclusion: ADR were responsible for 6% of admissions to an acute geriatric unit, and over 75% of these admissions were considered avoidable. Associated risk factors were being female, inappropriate medication, polypharmacy, renal insufficiency and sedative use., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Background: Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are important causes of morbidity and mortality in the healthcare system; however, there are no studies reporting on the magnitude and risk factors associated with ADR-related hospitalisation in Ethiopia., Objectives: To characterise the reaction types and the drugs implicated in admission to Jimma University Specialized Hospital, Southwest Ethiopia, and to identify risk factors associated with ADR-related hospitalisation., Methods: A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted from May 2015 to August 2016 among consenting patients aged ≥18 years consecutively admitted to medical wards taking at least one medication prior to admission. ADR-related hospitalisations were determined through expert review of medical records, laboratory tests, patient interviews and physical observation. ADR causality was assessed by the Naranjo algorithm followed by consensus review with internal medicine specialist. ADR preventability was assessed using Schumock and Thornton's criteria. Only definite and probable ADRs that provoked hospitalisation were considered. Binary logistic regression was used to identify independent predictors of ADR-related hospitalisation., Results: Of 1,001 patients, 103 (10.3%) had ADR-related admissions. Common ADRs responsible for hospitalisation were hepatotoxicity (35, 29.4%) and acute kidney injury (27, 22.7%). The drug classes most frequently implicated were antitubercular agents (45, 25.0%) followed by antivirals (22, 12.2%) and diuretics (19, 10.6%). Independent predictors of ADR-related hospitalisation were body mass index (BMI) <18.5 kg/m2 (adjusted odd ratio [AOR] = 1.69; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.10-2.62; p = 0.047), pre-existing renal disease (AOR = 2.84; 95%CI = 1.38-5.85, p = 0.004), pre-existing liver disease (AOR = 2.61; 95%CI = 1.38-4.96; p = 0.003), number of comorbidities ≥4 (AOR = 2.09; 95%CI = 1.27-3.44; p = 0.004), number of drugs ≥6 (AOR = 2.02; 95%CI = 1.26-3.25; p = 0.004) and history of previous ADRs (AOR = 24.27; 95%CI = 11.29-52.17; p<0.001). Most ADRs (106, 89.1%) were preventable., Conclusions: ADRs were a common cause of hospitalisation. The majority of ADRs were preventable, highlighting the need for monitoring and review of patients with lower BMI, ADR history, renal and liver diseases, multiple comorbidities and medications. ADR predictors should be integrated into clinical pathways and pharmacovigilance systems.

Purpose: Adverse drug events (ADEs) represent medication-related patient harm, which is associated with significant patient morbidity and mortality. This study was conducted to determine the rate, specific causes, and outcomes of ADE-related hospitalization in the USA., Methods: We used the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project's Nationwide Inpatient Sample dataset for the years 2008 to 2011. We selected patients with ADE based on 537 Classification of Diseases-9 codes. Main outcome measures included yearly prevalence, cost, length of stay, and mortality of ADE-related hospitalizations. Calculations were performed on weighted samples, and statistical significance was set at p-value <0.05 (two-tailed)., Results: We estimated the total hospitalizations with ADE to be 9 440 757 patients (6.28% of total) from 2008 to 2011. Increasing trend was noted from 2008 (5.97%) to 2011 (6.82%) with an annual percentage change rate of 4.37. Patients with ADE were significantly older (2011: mean age 61.42 vs. 48.65 years) and had more comorbidities. Steroids (14.49%), antineoplastic drugs (13.06%), anticoagulants (11.33%), nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (8.78%), and opiates/narcotics (6.48%) were the five most common causes of ADE. Patient with ADE stayed 1.89 days [95% confidence interval (CI) (1.79-1.99); p < 0.001] longer, incurred $1851.44 [95%CI ($1613.90-$2088.96), p < 0.001] higher with higher odds of mortality 1.27 [95%CI (1.24-1.29), p < 0.001]., Conclusion: Adverse drug event carries a significant burden of inpatient hospital care, incurs more cost, and leads to increased loss of life. Targeted policies to reduce them could potentially help decrease mortality as well as drive down cost. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., (Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

Background and Objectives: Children with nephrotic syndrome can develop life-threatening complications, including infection and thrombosis. While AKI is associated with adverse outcomes in hospitalized children, little is known about the epidemiology of AKI in children with nephrotic syndrome. The main objectives of this study were to determine the incidence, epidemiology, and hospital outcomes associated with AKI in a modern cohort of children hospitalized with nephrotic syndrome., Design, Setting, Participants, & Measurements: Records of children with nephrotic syndrome admitted to 17 pediatric nephrology centers across North America from 2010 to 2012 were reviewed. AKI was classified using the pediatric RIFLE definition., Results: AKI occurred in 58.6% of 336 children and 50.9% of 615 hospitalizations (27.3% in stage R, 17.2% in stage I, and 6.3% in stage F). After adjustment for race, sex, age at admission, and clinical diagnosis, infection (odds ratio, 2.24; 95% confidence interval, 1.37 to 3.65; P=0.001), nephrotoxic medication exposure (odds ratio, 1.35; 95% confidence interval, 1.11 to 1.64; P=0.002), days of nephrotoxic medication exposure (odds ratio, 1.10; 95% confidence interval, 1.05 to 1.15; P<0.001), and intensity of medication exposure (odds ratio, 1.34; 95% confidence interval, 1.09 to 1.65; P=0.01) remained significantly associated with AKI in children with nephrotic syndrome. Nephrotoxic medication exposure was common in this population, and each additional nephrotoxic medication received during a hospitalization was associated with 38% higher risk of AKI. AKI was associated with longer hospital stay after adjustment for race, sex, age at admission, clinical diagnosis, and infection (difference, 0.45 [log]days; 95% confidence interval, 0.36 to 0.53 [log]days; P<0.001)., Conclusions: AKI is common in children hospitalized with nephrotic syndrome and should be deemed the third major complication of nephrotic syndrome in children in addition to infection and venous thromboembolism. Risk factors for AKI include steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome, infection, and nephrotoxic medication exposure. Children with AKI have longer hospital lengths of stay and increased need for intensive care unit admission., (Copyright © 2015 by the American Society of Nephrology.)

Background and Objective: There are few data on the rate and characterization of medication-related visits (MRVs) to the emergency department (ED) in pediatric patients. We sought to evaluate the frequency, severity, preventability, and classification of MRVs to the ED in pediatric patients., Methods: We performed a prospective observational study of pediatric patients presenting to the ED over a 12-month period. A medication-related ED visit was identified by using pharmacist assessment, emergency physician assessment, and an independent adjudication committee., Results: In this study, 2028 patients were enrolled (mean age, 6.1 ± 5.0 years; girls, 47.4%). An MRV was found in 163 patients (8.0%; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 7.0%-9.3%) of which 106 (65.0%; 95% CI: 57.2%-72.3%) were deemed preventable. Severity was classified as mild in 14 cases (8.6%; 95% CI: 4.8%-14.0%), moderate in 140 cases (85.9%; 95% CI: 79.6%-90.8%), and severe in 9 cases (5.5%; 95% CI: 2.6%-10.2%). The most common events were related to adverse drug reactions 26.4% (95% CI: 19.8%-33.8%), subtherapeutic dosage 19.0% (95% CI: 13.3%-25.9%), and nonadherence 17.2% (95% CI: 11.7%-23.9%). The probability of hospital admission was significantly higher among patients with an MRV compared with those without an MRV (odds ratio, 6.5; 95% CI: 4.3-9.6) and, if admitted, the median (interquartile range) length of stay was longer (3.0 [5.0] days vs 1.5 [2.5] days, P = .02)., Conclusions: A medication-related cause was found in ∼1 of every 12 ED visits by pediatric patients, of which two-thirds were deemed preventable. Pediatric patients who present to the ED with an MRV are more likely to be admitted to hospital and when admitted have a longer length of stay., (Copyright © 2015 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.)

Background: Little is known about the adverse drug reaction (ADR) related admissions among heart failure (HF) patients., Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the rate, factors, and medications associated with ADR-related hospitalisations among HF patients., Setting: Two government hospitals in Dubai, United Arab Emirates., Methods: This was a prospective, observational study. Consecutive adult HF patients who were admitted between December 2011 and November 2012 to the cardiology units were included in this study. The circumstances of their admission were analysed., Main Outcome Measures: ADRs-related admissions of HF patients to cardiology units were identified and further assessed for their nature, causality, and preventability., Results: Of 511 admissions, 34 were due to ADR-related hospitalisation (6.65, 95 % confidence interval 4.8-8.5 %). Number of medications taken by HF patients was the only predictors of ADR-related hospitalisations, where higher number of medications was associated with the odd ratio of 1.11 (95 % CI, 1.03-1.20, P = 0.005). More than one-third of ADR-related hospitalisations (35 %) were preventable The most frequent drugs causing ADR-related hospitalisation were diuretics (32 %), followed by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (15 %), thiazolidinediones (9 %), anticoagulants (9 %), antiplatelets (6 %), and aldosterone blockers (6 %)., Conclusion: ADR-related hospitalisations account for 6.7 % of admissions of HF patients to cardiac units, one-third of which are preventable. Number of medications taken by HF patients is the only predictors of ADR-related hospitalisations. Diuretic induced volume depletion, and sodium and water retention caused by thiazolidinediones and NSAIDs medications are the major causes of ADR-related hospitalisations of HF patients.

Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are common problems in both paediatric and adult medicine. The aim of this study was to prospectively identify the ADRs causing hospital admission of children and identification of the risk factors and involved drugs. The study was performed at the University Hospital in Olomouc, Czech Republic. All patients aged 19 years or under admitted to hospital were included in the study, and all admissions for ADRs were prospectively screened for a period of 9 months. Suspected ADRs were subsequently evaluated in detail, and causality assessment was undertaken to determine whether each suspected reaction was possible, probable or definite. The assessment of ADR causality was performed using the Naranjo algorithm, the Liverpool ADR Causality Assessment Tool and the Edwards and Aronson causality assessment method. During the study period, 2903 admissions were identified; of these, there were 143 admissions of patients with an oncological disease. Sixty-four admissions (2.2%) were caused by an ADR. Anticancer chemotherapy accounted for 35% of the cases, followed by antibiotics (18%), immunosuppressants and vaccines (9% each). The use of different scoring systems does not lead to the differences in the numbers of ADR-diagnosed patient but may result in differences in the determination of the level of certainty. ADRs cause a substantial proportion of children's hospital admissions. The majority of the ADR-diagnosed patient affected the hematopoietic and gastrointestinal systems; the drugs most frequently involved were cytotoxic agents and antibiotics. The most important risk factors identified were female sex and oncological disease., (© 2014 Nordic Association for the Publication of BCPT (former Nordic Pharmacological Society).)

Background: Emergency department visits and subsequent hospitalizations of young children after unsupervised ingestions of prescription medications are increasing despite widespread use of child-resistant packaging and caregiver education efforts. Data on the medications implicated in ingestions are limited but could help identify prevention priorities and intervention strategies., Methods: We used nationally representative adverse drug event data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System-Cooperative Adverse Drug Event Surveillance project and national retail pharmacy prescription data from IMS Health to estimate the frequency and rates of emergency hospitalizations for unsupervised prescription medication ingestions by young children (2007-2011)., Results: On the basis of 1513 surveillance cases, 9490 estimated emergency hospitalizations (95% confidence interval: 6420-12,560) occurred annually in the United States for unsupervised prescription medication ingestions among children aged <6 years from 2007 through 2011; 75.4% involved 1- or 2-year old children. Opioids (17.6%) and benzodiazepines (10.1%) were the most commonly implicated medication classes. The most commonly implicated active ingredients were buprenorphine (7.7%) and clonidine (7.4%). The top 12 active ingredients, alone or in combination with others, were implicated in nearly half (45.0%) of hospitalizations. Accounting for the number of unique patients who received dispensed prescriptions, the hospitalization rate for unsupervised ingestion of buprenorphine products was significantly higher than rates for all other commonly implicated medications and 97-fold higher than the rate for oxycodone products (200.1 vs 2.1 hospitalizations per 100,000 unique patients)., Conclusions: Focusing unsupervised ingestion prevention efforts on medications with the highest hospitalization rates may efficiently achieve large public health impact., (Copyright © 2014 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.)

Aims: Medicine-related problems (MRPs) represent a major issue leading to hospitalization, especially in adult and elderly patients. The aims of this review are to investigate the prevalence, causes and major risk factors for MRPs leading to hospitalization in adult patients and to identify the main medicine classes involved., Methods: Studies were identified through electronic searches of Medline, Embase, Scopus and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts between January 2000 and May 2013. A systematic review was conducted of both retrospective and prospective studies. Studies included were those involving hospitalization resulting from MRPs in adults (≥18 years old), whereas studies excluded were those investigating drug misuse and abuse and studies investigating MRPs in hospitalized patients. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 20., Results: Forty-five studies were identified, including 21 that investigated hospitalization resulting from adverse drug reactions, six studies that investigated hospitalization due to adverse drug events and 18 studies that investigated hospitalization due to MRPs. The median prevalence rates of hospitalization resulting from adverse drug reactions, adverse drug events and MRPs were 7% (interquartile range, 2.4-14.9%), 4.6% (interquartile range, 2.85-16.6%) and 12.1% (interquartile range, 6.43-22.2%), respectively. The major causes contributing to MRPs were adverse drug reactions and noncompliance. In addition, the major risk factors associated with MRPs were old age, polypharmacy and comorbidities. Moreover, the main classes of medicines implicated were medicines used to treat cardiovascular diseases and diabetes., Conclusions: Hospitalization due to MRPs had a high prevalence, in the range of 4.6-12.1%. Most MRPs encountered were prevalent among adult patients taking medicines for cardiovascular diseases and diabetes., (© 2013 The British Pharmacological Society.)

Background: Studies have examined drug-related problems (DRPs) that have led to hospital admissions in the general population. However, there is a lack of information on the characteristics of DRPs in the cancer population., Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the type, causality, severity, and preventability of DRPs that result in unplanned hospitalizations among cancer patients., Methods: This was a prospective, cohort study conducted in two oncology wards between July and December 2012. All patients who were diagnosed with solid tumor or lymphoma and required unplanned hospitalization were included. The incidence of DRPs among hospital admissions was captured, and the nature of the DRPs (causality, severity, and preventability) was characterized., Results: There were 1,299 admissions and 1,275 were eligible for analysis. Among the 1,275 eligible admissions, 158 (12.4%) were considered to be associated with a DRP. In the 158 admissions associated with DRPs, 164 DRPs were found. The majority of the DRP-related admissions were adverse drug reactions (ADRs) (n=155/164, 94.5%), probable (n=98, 59.8%), moderately severe (n=155, 94.5%), and probably or definitely preventable (n=86, 52.4%). Most patients with DRPs recovered and were discharged. Febrile neutropenia was the most common adverse drug reaction, and drug combinations involving antihypertensives and long-term corticosteroids raised the risks for potential drug-drug interactions among patients with cancer., Conclusion: The incidence of DRP-induced unplanned hospital admissions was 12.4% among cancer patients. Approximately half of these were preventable events.

Drug-induced acute interstitial nephritis (AIN) is a relatively common cause of hospital-acquired acute kidney injury (AKI). While prerenal AKI and acute tubular necrosis (ATN) are the most common forms of AKI in the hospital, AIN is likely the next most common. Clinicians must differentiate the various causes of hospital-induced AKI; however, it is often difficult to distinguish AIN from ATN in such patients. While standardized criteria are now used to classify AKI into stages of severity, they do not permit differentiation of the various types of AKI. This is not a minor point, as these different AKI types often require different therapeutic interventions. Clinicians assess and differentiate AIN from these other AKI causes by utilizing clinical assessment, various imaging tests, and certain laboratory data. Gallium scintigraphy has been employed with mixed results. While a few serum tests, such as eosinophilia may be helpful, examination of the urine with tests such as dipstick urinalysis, urine chemistries, urine eosinophils, and urine microscopy are primarily utilized. Unfortunately, these tools are not always sufficient to definitively clinch the diagnosis, making it a challenging task for the clinician. As a result, kidney biopsy is often required to accurately diagnose AIN and guide management.

Countless studies have demonstrated that many emergency-room visits and hospital admissions are drug-related and that a significant proportion of these drug-related visits (DRVs) are preventable. It has not been previously studied which DRVs could be prevented through enhanced monitoring of therapy. The objective of the study was to determine the incidence of DRVs attributed to laboratory or physiologic abnormalities. Three authors independently performed comprehensive searches in relevant health care databases using pre-determined search terms. Articles discussing DRV associated with poisoning, substance abuse, or studied among existing in-patient populations were excluded. Study country, year, sample, design, duration, DRV identification method, proportion of DRVs associated with laboratory or physiologic abnormalities and associated medications were extracted. The three authors independently assessed selected relevant articles according to the Strengthening the reporting of observational studies in epidemiology (STROBE) as applicable according to the studies' methodology. The initial literature search yielded a total of 1,524 articles of which 30 articles meeting inclusion criteria and reporting sufficient laboratory or physiologic data were included in the overall analysis. Half employed prospective methodologies, which included both chart review and patient interview; however, the overwhelming majority of identified studies assessed only adverse drug reactions (ADRs) as a drug-related cause for DRV. The mean (range) prevalence of DRVs found in all studies was 15.4% (0.44%-66.7%) of which an association with laboratory or physiologic abnormalities could be attributed to a mean (range) of 29.4% (4.3%-78.1%) of cases. Most laboratory-associated DRVs could be linked to immunosuppressant, antineoplastic, anticoagulant and diabetes therapy, while physiologic-associated DRVs were attributed to cardiovascular therapies and NSAIDs. Significant proportions of laboratory and physiologic abnormalities contribute to DRVs and are consistently linked to specific drugs. These therapies are potential targets for enhanced medication monitoring initiatives to proactively avert potential DRVs.

Objectives: To describe the prevalence of unplanned hospitalizations caused by adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in older veterans and to examine the association between this outcome and polypharmacy after controlling for comorbidities and other patient characteristics., Design: Retrospective cohort., Setting: Veterans Affairs Medical Centers., Participants: Six hundred seventy-eight randomly selected unplanned hospitalizations of older (aged ≥ 65) veterans between October 1, 2003, and September 30, 2006., Measurements: Naranjo ADR algorithm, ADR preventability, and polypharmacy (0-4, 5-8, and ≥9 scheduled medications)., Results: Seventy ADRs involving 113 drugs were found in 68 (10%) hospitalizations of older veterans, of which 25 (36.8%) were preventable. Extrapolating to the population of more than 2.4 million older veterans receiving care during the study period, 8,000 hospitalizations may have been unnecessary. The most common ADRs that occurred were bradycardia (n = 6; beta-blockers, digoxin), hypoglycemia (n = 6; sulfonylureas, insulin), falls (n = 6; antidepressants, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors), and mental status changes (n = 6; anticonvulsants, benzodiazepines). Overall, 44.8% of veterans took nine or more outpatient medications and 35.4% took five to eight. Using multivariable logistic regression and controlling for demographic, health-status, and access-to-care variables, polypharmacy (≥9 and 5-8) was associated with greater risk of ADR-related hospitalization (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 3.90, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.43-10.61 and AOR = 2.85, 95% CI = 1.03-7.85, respectively)., Conclusion: ADRs, determined using a validated causality algorithm, are a common cause of unplanned hospitalization in older veterans, are frequently preventable, and are associated with polypharmacy., (© 2011, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2011, The American Geriatrics Society.)

Emergency services constitute crucial and frequently used safety nets for older persons, an emergency visit by a senior very often indicates high vulnerability for functional decline and death, and interventions via the emergency system have significant opportunities to change the clinical course of older patients who require its services. However, the evidence base for widespread employment of emergency system-based interventions is lacking. In this article, we review the evidence and offer crucial research questions to capitalize on the opportunity to optimize health trajectories of older persons seeking emergency care in four areas: prehospital care, delirium, adverse drug events, and falls.