[Drug-induced fatal adverse effects in the United States from 1999 to 2004].
OBJECTIVE
To examine the characteristics of drug-induced fatal adverse effects in the United States from 1999 to 2004 and put forward suggestions for China's control of drug-induced adverse effects.


METHODS
The data came from the compressed mortality file of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the United States. Drug-induced mortality was used to analyze the effects of gender, race, age, and drug on drug-induced fatal adverse effects.


RESULTS
During 1999-2004, 1 700 persons died of drug-induced adverse effects (mortality, 0.10/100,000). No difference was found in mortality between males and females. The drug-induced mortalities of whites, blacks and Native Americans, and other racial groups were respectively 0.10, 0.12, and 0.04 per 100,000 persons. The mortality increased quickly with the increase of age since the age group of 5-9. In this period, the 5 most common drugs that led to deaths were: (1) agents primarily affecting blood constituents; (2) analgesics, antipyretics, and anti-inflammatory drugs; (3) primarily systemic agents; (4) systemic antibiotics; and (5) hormones and their synthetic substitutes and antagonists, not elsewhere classified. At the age group of 20-84, 3 most common drugs leading to deaths for whites were: anticoagulants,opioids and related analgesics, and insulin and oral hypoglycaemic drugs. For blacks and Native Americans, they were: hydantoin derivatives, anticoagulants, and anaesthetic, unspecified. For people ages older than 84, anticoagulants, opioids and related analgesics, and drug or medicament, unspecified, were the 3 most common drugs resulting in deaths. For the rest of racial groups, the number of deaths caused by all kinds of drugs was less than 3.


CONCLUSIONS
Obvious differences on race, gender, age, and drug were found for drug-induced fatal adverse effects in the United States during 1999-2004, and these differences should be considered by the government when interventions are developed. China can learn something from the United States in controlling drug adverse effects, and improve its surveillance system of drug adverse effects as soon as possible.
He
Min
M
Department of Anesthesiology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410078, China.
Guo
Qu-lian
QL
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016907:Adverse Drug Reaction Reporting Systems / Q000458:organization & administration*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000698:Analgesia / Q000009:adverse effects; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000009:adverse effects; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
D000925:Anticoagulants