Evaluation of the Drug Interactions Frequency and Their Related Factors in Hospitalized Patients of the Intensive Care Unit in the Hamadan Besat Hospital

Abstract

Background and Objective: Drug interactions are one of the problems caused by the irrational administration of drugs and one of the common causes of morbidity and mortality in patients. Since drug interactions are usually predictable, they are therefore avoidable and manageable. This study aimed to evaluate the frequency of drug interactions and their related factors in hospitalized patients of the intensive care unit in the Hamadan Besat hospital, Iran. Material and Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on the clinical records of patients admitted to the intensive care unit (2019-2020) of Besat Hospital in Hamadan, Iran. Data were analyzed to determine the type of drug interactions based on the interactions available on the Up To Date and RxList databases. Other information was obtained from the patients' clinical records. Completion of information was recorded in the Pre-Design checklist. Finally, the data was analyzed using SPSS software version 22 and appropriate descriptive-analytical methods. Results: The mean number of total drug interactions per prescription was 5.94 ± 4.91. Most interactions were type C (63.89%), Moderate (67.66%), Fair (70.96%) and Significant (44.76%). Conclusion: According to the results, prolonged stay in an intensive care unit, the elderly, and polypharmacy are the main important factors associated with the occurrence of drug-drug interactions. These results indicate the importance of paying more attention to the monitoring and control of prescribed drugs in these patients.

Keywords

• drug interactions
• inpatients
• intensive care unit