Publication: Potential Drug-drug Interaction among the Patients Admitted in Intensive Care Units of a Tertiary Care Centre: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study
Date
2022
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Nepal Medical Association
Abstract
Abstract
Introduction: Drug interactions are one of the major contributors to increase hospital stay, inflate health care expenses, and cause serious adverse events and end-organ damage. Patients admitted to the intensive care unit are already critically sick and are at greater risk of these adverse outcomes. The study aimed to find out the prevalence of potential drug-drug interactions in the Intensive Care Units of a tertiary care centre.
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among the patients admitted in the Intensive Care Unit of a tertiary care hospital from April-June 2019. Ethical approval was taken from the Institutional Review Board at the institute (Reference number: 399). Convenience sampling method was used. Data was collected using proforma and potential drug-drug interactions were identified using Lexicomp® drug-interactions version 1.1 (Wolters Kluwer). All the drug interactions identified were classified and the severity scale of interactions was also defined. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 17.0 was used for data analysis. Point estimate at 95% Confidence Interval was calculated along with frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, and mode.
Results: Out of 101 patients, the prevalence of the drug-drug interaction was found to be 90 (89.11%) (83.04-95.18 at 95% Confidence Interval). A total of 490 drug-drug interactions were identified. In severity scale, it was seen that 311 (63.46%) were of moderate severity and 303 (61.83%) of drug interactions were categorised as category C in risk rating.
Conclusions: Prevalence of potential drug-drug interactions was higher compared to similar published literature. The most common drug with potential interaction was fentanyl and among pairs was fentanyl plus paracetamol.
Description
Rakesh Ghimire
Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Maharajgunj Medical Campus, Institute of Medicine, Maharajgunj, Kathmandu, Nepal
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0775-262X
Pravin Prasad
Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Maharajgunj Medical Campus, Institute of Medicine, Maharajgunj, Kathmandu, Nepal
Subigya Parajuli
Manmohan Cardiothoracic Vascular and Transplant Center, Maharajgunj, Kathmandu, Nepal
Rabin Basnet
Department of Anesthesiology, Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, Institute of Medicine, Maharajgunj, Kathmandu, Nepal
Pratik Lamichhane
Maharajgunj Medical Campus, Institute of Medicine, Maharajgunj, Kathmandu, Nepal
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3460-9899
Nirmal Poudel
Maharajgunj Medical Campus, Institute of Medicine, Maharajgunj, Kathmandu, Nepal
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1611-1149
Pramesh Sunder Shrestha
Department of Anesthesiology, Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, Institute of Medicine, Maharajgunj, Kathmandu, Nepal
Shristi Kharel
International Friendship Children's Hospital, Maharajgunj, Kathmandu, Nepal
Akritee Pokharel
Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Maharajgunj Medical Campus, Institute of Medicine, Maharajgunj, Kathmandu, Nepal
Anish Mudvari
Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Maharajgunj Medical Campus, Institute of Medicine, Maharajgunj, Kathmandu, Nepal
Keywords
Drug interactions, Intensive care units, Nepal, Software