Incidence of Adverse Drug Reactions in Alkarak Hospital: A Pilot Study

Objective: Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs) are common and represent a major clinical issue. The majority of ADRs are mild, however, sometimes can be severe and cause death, lead to extend the length of stay in hospitals, and increase the health care costs. The aim of this prospective observational study was to assess the prevalence and impact of ADRs in Alkarak hospital. Methods: The study was carried out on two hospital wards (internal medicine and Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Patients admitted to these wards over a 4-week period were assessed for ADRs through a daily ward visit. Suspected ADRs were recorded and then analyzed for causality, severity and possibility of avoidability. Results: Sixteen out of 200 patients (8%) suffered from one or more ADRs. Most ADRs (n=11, 68.8%) were classified as type A (Augmented) reactions. Causality assessment showed that 12 (75%) of the ADRs were defined as probably drug-related , while 4 (25%) were classified as possibly drug-related . Two (12.5%) of the reactions were assessed as definitely avoidable , whereas 6 (37.5%) were classified as possibly avoidable . One patient died during admission and his death was contributed to an ADR. Conclusions: ADRs are an important cause of morbidity and mortality. Many of these reactions may be preventable. Measures are needed in order to detect, prevent these adverse reactions, and therefore reduce the burden caused by ADRs on health care system and improve drug safety.