title: Potential drug interactions in intensive care patients at a teaching hospital.
abstract: This study assessed potential drugs interactions in intensive care patients at a university hospital in Ceará, northeast Brazil. Of 102 patients studied, 72.5% were exposed to 311 potential drug-drug interactions; 64% of them were females aged 60 years or more and hospital stay was at least 9 days. A statistically significant association was found between number of drugs used and the occurrence of drug interactions. A total of 1,140 drugs were scheduled to be administered concomitantly; of these, 74% had potential for drug interactions. As for the classification of these events, 48.2% had a pharmacokinetic profile; 55.4% were of slow onset; 54.7% had moderate severity; and 60.6% were well-documented in the literature. The most common clinical action taken was 'to monitor signs and symptoms'. Nursing staff can perform 80% of preventive actions to avoid undesirable effects of drug interactions. However, nurses need to have adequate knowledge about drug action mechanisms and triggering factors associated to drug interactions.
authors: Escola de Enfermagem de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil. rhannalima@gmail.com
authors: Rhanna Emanuela Fontenele
authors: RE
authors: Lima
authors: Silvia Helena
authors: SH
authors: De Bortoli Cassiani
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004347:Drug Interactions; D005260:Female; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055815:Young Adult