title: [Self-medicating behaviours in patients admitted to a medical emergency department].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the self-medicating behaviours (SMBs) in patients admitted to a tertiary care medical emergency department (ED); to study the factors associated with SMBs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Observational cross-sectional study conducted in 2009. Included patients were interviewed about their SMBs using a standardized questionnaire. The search for factors associated with SMBs used multivariate logistic regression analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the 315 patients who were interviewed, 239 (75.9%) reported one SMBs or more in their lives and 105 (43.9%) within 7 days of admission to the ED. Some of the medications reported during interviews are known to be associated with adverse drug events. After adjustment, SMBs were conversely associated with an age ≥80 years, a number of prescribed medications ≥4 and a social vulnerability condition.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The description of SMBs and the analysis of their determinants are necessary to improve the recognition of adverse events related to self-medication in ED patients.
authors.affiliation: Service des Urgences, CHU Hôtel-Dieu, Nantes, France. lucien.roulet@gmail.com
authors.forename: Lucien
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Roulet
authors.forename: Nathalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Asseray
authors.forename: Nadine
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Foucher
authors.forename: Gilles
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Potel
authors.forename: Maryse
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lapeyre-Mestre
authors.forename: Françoise
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ballereau
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007049:Iatrogenic Disease / Q000453:epidemiology; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012651:Self Medication / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult