Drug Interactions Among Hospitalized Patients in Intensive Care Units and Infectious Ward, Hamadan, Iran

Background: Drug interactions (DIs) are one of the problems caused by irrational drug use and includes the effects of drug, food, or anything that changes the pharmacokinetics or pharmacodynamics of a given drug. In this regard, DI is one of the causes of morbidity and mortality in patients. However, this problem is usually predictable and hence is required to be properly managed. The aim of the present study was to assess DIs in the patients hospitalized in the intensive care units and infectious ward of Sina hospital, Hamadan, Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on the medical records of ۵۰۰ patients hospitalized in ICUs and infectious ward of Sina hospital in Hamadan from March ۲۰۱۴ to February ۲۰۱۵. The inclusion criterion was the presence of at least one DI in the patients hospitalized in the intensive care units (ICUs) and infectious ward of the hospital for at least ۲۴ hours. The potential DIs were classified based on the type and severity. Medical and demographic characteristics of the patients, including age, sex, duration of hospitalization, inpatient ward, and treatment results (death or advances in treatment) were collected using a checklist. Data were analyzed using SPSS software version ۱۶.۰. Results: A total of ۵۱۴ DIs were identified from which ۵.۰۵% were major and ۴۱.۸۲% were moderate interactions. The mean of DI per patient was ۲.۸۱ in the range of ۱ and ۲۳. The frequency of antibiotic/ antibiotic and antibiotic/other drugs interactions were ۷.۹۷% and ۲۸.۹۸%, respectively. The average length of stay in hospital was ۱۲.۰۷ days, and ۲۶.۲۲% and ۲۵.۱۳% of the studied patients were hospitalized in general and infectious ICUs, respectively. The mean of DIs per patient was significantly higher in infectious ICU rather than other studied wards. Conclusions: To sum up, although the percentage of major DIs were low, the prevalence of total DIs was high in the studied patients. Based on the results of this study, it seems that physicians must be aware of the presence of potential and harmful DIs. Moreover, working under the careful supervision of a clinical pharmacist in hospitals and continuous training around DIs and training the pharmacological care to physicians can be effective in the prevention of DIs.