title: Emergency department visits caused by adverse drug reactions: results of aTurkish university hospital.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We aimed to evaluate adverse drug reaction (ADR)-related emergency department (ED) visits in the ED of the Dokuz Eylül University Hospital prospectively.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients who were admitted to the ED during 1-week periods of four different seasons between July 2010 and April 2011 were enrolled. Demographics of patients, previous ADR history, clinical progress, and outcomes were recorded. Causality assessment was done according to World Health Organization Uppsala Monitoring Centre categories. ADRs were categorized as certain, probable, or possible.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients who were on medications (26.5%, n = 1838) were evaluated for ADR-related ED admissions. ADRs accounted for 5.9% of cases (n = 108). The most frequently affected systems were the gastrointestinal (35.2%, n = 38), dermatological (23.1%, n = 25), and hematological (10.2%, n = 11) systems (7.4%, n = 8). The most common causes of ADRs were antiinfectives (31.6%, n = 33). Amoxicillin, Coumadin, and paracetamol were the most common medications that caused ADRs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Nearly 6% of the admissions were ADR-related. ADRs should always be considered when patients who are on medication are admitted to the ED. Multicenter epidemiologic studies are required to know the real rates of ADR cases in EDs in Turkey.
authors: Emergency Medicine Clinic, İstanbul Education and Research Hospital, İstanbul, Turkey.
authors: Mehmet Can
authors: MC
authors: Girgin
authors: Department of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Dokuz Eylül University, İzmir, Turkey.
authors: Sedat
authors: S
authors: Yanturali
authors: Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Dokuz Eylül University, İzmir, Turkey.
authors: Mualla Aylin
authors: MA
authors: Arici
authors: Department of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Dokuz Eylül University, İzmir, Turkey.
authors: Neşe
authors: N
authors: Çolak Oray
authors: Department of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ahi Evran University Education Research Hospital, Kırşehir, Turkey.
authors: Özgür
authors: Ö
authors: Doylan
authors: Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Dokuz Eylül University, İzmir, Turkey.
authors: Yücel
authors: Y
authors: Demiral
authors: Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Dokuz Eylül University, İzmir, Turkey.
authors: Yeşim
authors: Y
authors: Tunçok
mesh_terms: D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D006760:Hospitalization; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D014421:Turkey
keywords: Adverse drug reactions; World Health Organization Uppsala Monitoring Centre; emergency department