Potential drug-drug interactions and radiodiagnostic procedures: an in-hospital survey.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the type, frequency, severity and predictors of potential Drug-Drug Interactions (DDIs) in a cohort of patients undergoing radiodiagnostic procedures.


METHODS
Eight Radiology wards located in Tuscany (Italy).


METHODS
All participants exposed to at least two medications were included in the analysis. DDIs were grouped according to their severity as 'minor', 'moderate' or 'major'. A logistic model was used to estimate Odds Ratios and 95% Confidence Intervals for all predictors of potential DDI.


METHODS
Type and predictors of potential DDI in a cohort of patients undergoing radiodiagnostic procedures.


RESULTS
One-thousand-and-two subjects (57.6% females; mean age: 67.3 +/- 12.2) entered the analysis, and 46.1% of them incurred in a potential DDI (78.9% 'moderate' in severity). The combination of allopurinol and ACE-inhibitors was the most frequent (21/153) among major potential DDIs, while steroids were involved in all cases of potential DDI due to premedication. Co-morbidity, number of co-medications, advanced age and premedication use increased the risk of potential DDI; a protective role was found for positive history of allergy. When the analysis was restricted to subjects with premedication (n = 93), only 12.9% of them reported a potential DDI directly attributable to premedication drugs.


CONCLUSIONS
Among patients undergoing radiological examination, types and predictors of potential DDIs appeared in agreement with other kind of in-hospital populations. Premedication revealed to be a proxy predictor for potential DDIs. Considering the poor capability of the prescriber in recognizing interactions, their systematic evaluation (using an informatics tool) in patients undergoing radiological examination might be helpful in preventing the occurrence of clinically relevant DDIs.
Tuscan Regional Centre of Pharmacovigilance, Department of Pharmacology, University of Florence, Viale G. Pieraccini No. 6, 50139, Florence, Italy. francesco.lapi@unifi.it
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Lapi
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Vietri
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M
Moschini
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Cecchi
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A
Pugi
E
E
Lucenteforte
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Banchelli
M
M
Di Pirro
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Gallo
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Mugelli
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Vannacci
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D004347:Drug Interactions; D005260:Female; D006739:Hospital Administration; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019338:Polypharmacy; D011292:Premedication; D011859:Radiography / Q000379:methods*