Use of Drugs and Adverse Reactions in Medical Inpatients
SUTTHICHAI JIT APUNKUL, M.D.*, AUYCHAI JONGSITIMAHAKUL, M.D.*, COMSOM LERTKUPINIT, M.D.*, SUCHAI SUTEPARUK, M.D.**
Affiliation : * Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand.
Abstract An one-day survey of 111 medical inpatients admitted to four wards of the Department of Medicine, Chulalongkom University Hospital was conducted. Its aim was to examine the dif- ferences in medication use patterns and incidence of adverse reaction to medication between young and old patients. The mean age and its standard deviation were 43.5 and 18.2 years res- pectively. Common medications used by these patients were antibiotics, paracetamol, parenteral fluid, peptic ulcer and gastritis remedies, vitamin and mineral supplements, and diuretics. Com- pared to the young patients, the elderly patients received more prescriptions for cardiovascular drugs and diuretics while receiving fewer prescriptions for vitamin and mineral supplements. Thai elderly medical inpatients had a higher rate of adverse reaction when compared to their young counterparts. Patients who received 6 medications or more were more likely to have an adverse reaction than those who received less than 6 items. The discipline of geriatric medicine may have a role in caring for the elderly patients in medical wards. A cohort study with a larger sample for determining causes or factors associated with adverse drug reactions is needed.
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