title: Adverse drug reactions as a cause of admission to a Dublin-based university teaching hospital.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A meta-analysis of 25 international studies suggests that 4.2-6.0% of medical admissions are the result of an adverse drug reaction (ADR). One Irish study has found that 8.8% of admissions to a university teaching hospital were attributable to ADRs.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To develop and evaluate a process to detect ADR-related medical admissions to a university teaching hospital in North Dublin.
  
  
  METHODS
  A screening process was developed to detect ADR-related admissions based on a previous Scottish study. Having evaluated the accuracy of the screening process in a large Dublin-based university teaching hospital, the same methodology was then applied to medical admissions occurring over a 9-day period.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The sensitivity and specificity of the screening process were 100 and 97%, respectively. The incidence of ADR-related hospitalization from 137 admissions was 5.1% (95% CI 1.4-8.8%). Of the ADRs, six were type A (predictable and preventable) and one was a type B (uncommon ADRs) reaction. Of the seven ADRs, two were considered to be unavoidable while five were potentially avoidable. High-risk medications namely anticoagulants, antiplatelets and antihypertensives were identified as causative medications.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study outlines the feasibility of screening for ADR-related admission in the hospital setting. ADRs constitute an important and avoidable cause of hospital admission.
authors.affiliation: Royal College of Surgeons, Dublin, Ireland, davidrwalsh@rcsi.ie.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Walsh
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lavan
authors.forename: A-M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Cushen
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Williams
mesh_terms: D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007494:Ireland / Q000453:epidemiology; D008485:Medical Audit / Q000379:methods*; D008499:Medical Records; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity