title: Adverse drug reactions related to hospital admission in Slovak elderly patients.
abstract: The aims of the present study were: to evaluate the prevalence of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) leading to hospitalization in elderly patients; to analyze the drugs which have been identified as having causal relationship with ADRs and to identify risk factors which predispose the patient to such ADRs. The study has been performed in 600 patients aged> or =65 years, hospitalized in a general hospital between 1 December 2003 and 31 March 2005. The ADRs recorded in patient's documentation as one of the reasons for hospital admission were evaluated. ADRs leading to hospital admission were recorded in 47 (7.8%) patients. ADRs in 43 patients represented A-type ADRs which are preventable. The most frequent ADRs were cardiovascular disorders. According to the results of multivariate analysis ischemic heart disease (odds ratio (OR)=4.50; 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.36-14.88), depression (OR, 2.49; 95% CI, 1.08-5.77) and heart failure (OR, 2.08; 95% CI, 1.13-3.81) were the most important patient-related characteristics predicting ADRs leading to hospitalization. The majority of ADRs in elderly patients could be avoided. Regular re-evaluation of the medication as well as taking into account the specific features of elderly patients represent the most important tools for ADR prevention.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Comenius University, Sasinkova, Bratislava, Slovakia. wawruch@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wawruch
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zikavska
authors.forename: Ladislava
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wsolova
authors.forename: Magdalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kuzelova
authors.forename: Katarina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kahayova
authors.forename: Kamil
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Strateny
authors.forename: Viera
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kristova
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000188:drug therapy; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000188:drug therapy; D016017:Odds Ratio; D019338:Polypharmacy; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D018154:Slovakia / Q000453:epidemiology