A retrospective and cross-sectional study to evaluate potential drug–drug interaction in hospitalized pediatrics, Bandar Abbas, Iran

The incidence of drug interactions in hospitalized patients is common due to the administration of various drugs, lack of proper monitoring, and sometimes multiple patient’s co-morbidities. This study aims to evaluate potential drug-drug interactions (PDDIs) in pediatrics hospitalized in an educational pediatric hospital. The present study is a retrospective cross-sectional study. The study population included patients hospitalized in different parts of Bandar Abbas Pediatrics Hospital. A total of 400 medical records were assessed. PDDIs were evaluated by Lexi-Comp drug interaction. SPSS software was used for data analysis. Based on the results, PDDIs were observed in 133 cases (33.25%). The mean ± SD of PDDIs per prescription was 1.97±1.56. The majority of the interactions were moderate (79.1%) with risk rating C (45.7%). Salbutamol, phenytoin, phenobarbital, and clarithromycin were responsible for most of the interactions with 95, 40, 25, and 17 PDDIs, respectively. Drug interactions with risk-rating X were observed in five cases. The number of drugs per prescription was significantly associated with PDDIs (P=0.000). Although the prevalence rate of PDDIs in this study was lower than that reported by recent studies, careful evaluation of drug charts and the implantation of educational programs for the medical staff should be considered.