title: Assessment of inpatient admissions and top 25 medications for obese pediatric patients at two academic hospitals.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Inpatient admissions and the top 25 medications for obese pediatric patients at two academic hospitals were assessed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Children age 2-17 years were included if they were obese and admitted to either hospital on or after January 1, 2011, and discharged before December 31, 2011. Obesity was defined as a body mass index of ≥95th percentile for age and sex. The objectives of this study were to determine the percentage of hospital admissions involving obese children and compile a list of medications prescribed to these patients. The top 25 medications prescribed were further evaluated to determine their pharmacokinetic disposition in obese patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Obese children accounted for 18.8% of the 15,119 admissions for children age 2-17 years at the two study hospitals. No significant difference was noted in the number of obese pediatric children admitted between institutions. A total of 28,234 medications were ordered for this population, with a median number of 8 medications prescribed per admission. Sixteen of the same medications (64.0%) ranked in the top 25 at each facility. The most commonly prescribed medications for these patients included analgesics, antimicrobials, corticosteroids, bronchodilators, and gastrointestinal agents.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Obese children accounted for 18.8% of admissions for patients age 2-17 years at two academic hospitals over a 1-year period. The most commonly prescribed medications for these children included analgesics, antimicrobials, corticosteroids, bronchodilators, and gastrointestinal agents. The literature guiding the dosing of these medications in this population was limited to seven studies, representing just three medications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy: Clinical and Administrative Sciences, University of Oklahoma College of Pharmacy, Oklahoma City, OK. peter-johnson@ouhsc.edu.
authors.forename: Peter N
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy: Clinical and Administrative Sciences, University of Oklahoma College of Pharmacy, Oklahoma City, OK.
authors.forename: Jamie L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.affiliation: Nashville Department of Clinical Pharmacy, University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy, Nashville, TN.
authors.forename: Tracy M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Hagemann
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Cardiology, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX.
authors.forename: Brady S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Moffett
mesh_terms: D000046:Academic Medical Centers / Q000639:trends*; D000293:Adolescent; D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001993:Bronchodilator Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005765:Gastrointestinal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000639:trends*; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D000700:Analgesics; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D001993:Bronchodilator Agents; D005765:Gastrointestinal Agents