title: Adverse drug events in trauma patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Adverse drug events (ADEs) are noxious and unintended results of drug therapy. ADEs have been shown to be a risk to hospitalized patients. The purpose of this study was to determine the rate and nature of ADEs in trauma patients and to characterize the population at risk.
  
  
  METHODS
  An electronic medical record, a hospital wide computerized surveillance program, and a clinical pharmacist prospectively investigated ADEs in 4,320 trauma patients from 1996 through 1999.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The rate of ADEs in trauma patients (98/4320, 2.3%) was twice that of non-trauma hospital patients (1,111/96,218, 1.2%, p < 0.001). Traumatized females had ADEs 1.5 times more often than traumatized males (2.7% versus 1.8%, p = 0.052). The medication class most often associated with ADEs was analgesics with 54% involving morphine and 20% involving meperidine. The most common ADEs were nausea, vomiting, and itching. Only one ADE was directly attributed to a medical error.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Trauma patients are at double the risk for ADEs. Analgesics are particularly associated with ADEs and use should be carefully monitored.
authors.affiliation: Division of Trauma Services, LDS Hospital, Salt Lake City, Utah 84143, USA.
authors.forename: Harrison M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Lazarus
authors.forename: Jolene
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fox
authors.forename: R Scott
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.forename: James F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Lloyd
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Pombo
authors.forename: John P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Burke
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Handrahan
authors.forename: Marlene J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Egger
authors.forename: Todd L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.forename: Mark H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Stevens
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000700:Analgesics / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002648:Child; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008500:Medical Records Department, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration; D008614:Meperidine / Q000009:adverse effects; D008875:Middle Aged; D009020:Morphine / Q000009:adverse effects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D014589:Utah; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D009020:Morphine; D008614:Meperidine