[Drug related problems and hospital admissions]

Aten Primaria. 2009 Mar;41(3):141-6. doi: 10.1016/j.aprim.2008.07.002. Epub 2009 Apr 8.
[Article in Spanish]

Abstract

Objective: Drug related problems (DRP) are health problems associated with the pharmacological treatment of patients and interfere or can interfere with the expected results on their health. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of DRP in patients from an urban health centre that lead to hospitalisation, and its prevention.

Design: It is a retrospective, observational and descriptive study.

Setting: Les Corts Health Centre (HC), which is an urban health and teaching centre with a reference population of 32,318 inhabitants.

Participants: Users of the les Corts HC admitted to the Barcelona Hospital Clinic from August 2005 to January 2006. RESULTS AND MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: A pharmacist and a family doctor analysed the clinical histories and determined whether or not there was a DRP. A DRP was present in 13.4% of all hospital discharges, and 12% were implicated in the hospital admission. It was considered that 57.3% of all the discharges with a DRP as the causing factor in the hospital admission were avoidable. Admissions due to DRP were mainly in internal medicine, cardiology and pneumology. The health problems that lead to hospital admission due to DRP are mainly circulatory (38.5%) and respiratory (11.5%).

Conclusions: The number of hospital admissions due to drug related problems is avoidably high.

Objetivo: Los problemas relacionados con los medicamentos (PRM) están vinculados al tratamiento farmacológico del paciente e interfieren o pueden interferir con los resultados esperados en su salud. El presente estudio tiene como objetivo determinar la prevalencia de los PRM en los pacientes de un centro de salud urbano que son causa de ingreso en su hospital de referencia, y su evitabilidad.

Diseño: Es un estudio observacional de tipo descriptivo y retrospectivo.

Emplazamiento: CENTRO de Salud Les Corts, que es un centro de salud urbano y docente con una población asignada de 32.318 habitantes.

Participantes: Usuarios del CS Les Corts ingresados en el Hospital Clínico de Barcelona desde agosto de 2005 a enero de 2006.

Resultados y mediciones principales: Una pareja de un farmacéutico y un médico de familia analizan las historias clínicas y determinan la presencia o no de PRM. El 13,4% de todas las altas presentan PRM, que en su mayoría están implicados en el ingreso hospitalario (12%). Un 57,3% del total de altas con un PRM como causa del ingreso hospitalario se ha considerado evitable. Los ingresos por PRM se concentran en los servicios de medicina interna, cardiología y neumología. Los problemas de salud motivo de ingreso hospitalario por PRM son mayoritariamente circulatorios (38,5%) y respiratorios (11,5%).

Conclusiones: El número de ingresos debidos a problemas relacionados con la medicación es elevado y evitable.

Publication types

  • English Abstract
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions / epidemiology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Patient Admission / statistics & numerical data*
  • Prevalence
  • Retrospective Studies