Transfer of psychiatric inpatients to a general hospital due to adverse drug reactions.
The authors review their experience with transfers of hospitalized psychiatric inpatients to general hospitals because of adverse drug reactions (ADRs). A total of 29 medical transfers related to ADRs were found in a review of 10,994 psychiatric inpatient admissions that occurred in a 30-month period between 1990 and 1993 (0.264%). Most cases involved neurological syndromes (76%), particularly delirium (31%). Low-potency antipsychotic agents were most frequently implicated (31%). Most ADRs were of moderate severity, but 8 cases required medical hospitalization (0.07% incidence). These findings indicate that ADRs leading to transfer of hospitalized psychiatric patients to a general medical facility were infrequent (< 0.3% of psychiatric admissions) and rarely led to medical hospitalization (< 0.1%).
Popli
A P
AP
Consolidated Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Hegarty
J D
JD
Siegel
A J
AJ
Kando
J C
JC
Tohen
M
M
D000328:Adult; D016907:Adverse Drug Reaction Reporting Systems; D000368:Aged; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003693:Delirium / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006769:Hospitals, General; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology; D010360:Patient Transfer / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs