title: [Characteristics of drug interactions in a pediatric intensive care unit].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study is to calculate the theoretical frequency of potential drug interactions (PDI) and their characteristics in the therapeutic plan of hospitalized patients in a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU).
  
  
  METHODS
  An observational study was conducted which analyzed PICU prescriptions between September and November 2011. The inclusion criteria included to be hospitalized in a PICU, requirements of at least 3 drugs, except those topically applied, either gender, no age limit, no hospital stay required. The Micromedex® 2.0 program was used to detect and classify PDI.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 223 patients, 100 met inclusion criteria, 610 prescriptions were analyzed and 815 drugs were prescribed. 1,240 PDI were detected in 44 patients; 12 patients received more than 10 drugs each, presenting 1,162 PDI (93.7% of total PDI). 8 patients were hospitalized for more than 10 days, presenting 1,035 PDI (83.5% of total PDI). According to PDI theoretical severity, 37.5% were high, 51.7% moderate, 6.7% low and 4.1% contraindicated. The therapeutic group most involved was antimicrobials (17.6%) and the most frequently involved individual drugs were chloral hydrate (15.9%), midazolam (14.1%) and vecuronium (13.4%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PDI were more frequent in patients associated with major polypharmacy and longer hospital stay.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Santibáñez
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Roque
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Morales
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Corrales
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004347:Drug Interactions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D015278:Intensive Care Units, Pediatric / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D019338:Polypharmacy; D055553:Prescription Drugs / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D055553:Prescription Drugs