Skip to main content
Log in

The role of drug-induced illness in admissions to an intensive care unit

  • Original Articles
  • Published:
Intensive Care Medicine Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

All patients admitted during a 33-month period to a multidisciplinary intensive care unit were prospectively studied in order to determine the incidence and severity of drug-induced illness leading to the admission. The role of underlying diseases was assessed and the avoidability of drug-induced illness considered. Out of 1651 patients, 97 (5.88%) were admitted because of drug-induced illness; 74 of these had serious underlying diseases. 13 (13.4%) of the 97 patients died, but underlying diseases accounted for 4 of the 13 fatalities. In nearly half of the cases, the drug-induced illness appeared potentially avoidable.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Auzepy P, Durocher A, Gay R, Haegy JM, Harari A, Motin A, Poisot D, Rimailho A, Tremolieres F (1979) Accidents médicamenteux graves chez l'adulte: Incidence actuelle dans le recrutement des unités de réanimation. Nouv Presse Méd8:1315

    Google Scholar 

  2. Barr DP (1956) Hazards of modern diagnosis and therapy — the price we pay. J Am Med Assoc 159:1452

    Google Scholar 

  3. Begaud B, Boisseau A, Albin H, Dangoumau J (1981) Comparaison de quatres méthodes d'imputabilité des effets indésirables médicamenteux. Thérapie 36:65

    Google Scholar 

  4. Borda IT, Slone D, Jick H (1968) Assessment of adverse reactions within a drug surveillance program. J Am Med Assoc 205:645

    Google Scholar 

  5. Caranasos GJ, Stewart RB, Cluff LE (1974) Drug-induced illness leading to hospitalization. J Am Med Assoc 228:713

    Google Scholar 

  6. Cluff LE, Thornton GF, Seidl LG (1964) Studies on the epidemiology of adverse drug reactions: I — Methods of surveillance. J Am Med Assoc 188:976

    Google Scholar 

  7. Ghose K (1980) Hospital bed occupancy due to drug-related problems. J Roy Soc Med 73:853

    Google Scholar 

  8. Hurwitz N (1969) Admissions to hospital due to drugs. Br Med J 1:539

    Google Scholar 

  9. Hutcheon AW, Lawson DH, Jick H (1978) Hospital admissions due to adverse drug reactions. J Clin Pharmacol 3:219

    Google Scholar 

  10. Hutchinson TA, Leventhal JM, Kramer MS, Karch FE, Lipman AG, Feinstein AR (1979) An algorithm for the operational assessment of adverse drug reactions: II — Demonstration of reproductibility and validity. J Am Med Assoc 242:633

    Google Scholar 

  11. Jick H (1974) Drugs — remarkably non toxic. N Engl J Med 291:824

    Google Scholar 

  12. Jick H (1977) The discovery of drug-induced illness. N Engl J Med 296:481

    Google Scholar 

  13. Karch FE, Lasagna L (1975) Adverse drug reactions: a critical review. J Am Med Assoc 234:1236

    Google Scholar 

  14. Karch FE, Smith CL, Kerzner B, Mazzullo JM, Weintraub M, Lasagna L (1976) Adverse drug reactions — a matter of opinion. Clin Pharmacol Ther 19:489

    Google Scholar 

  15. Koch-Weser J (1974) Fatal reactions to drug therapy. N Engl J Med 291:302

    Google Scholar 

  16. Kramer MS, Leventhal JM, Hutchinson TA, Feinstein AR (1979) An algorithm for the operational assessment of adverse drug reactions: I — Background, description and instructions for use. J Am Med Assoc 242:623

    Google Scholar 

  17. Levy M, Kewitz H, Altwein W, Hillebrand J, Eliakim M (1980) Hospital admissions due to adverse drug reactions: A comparative study from Jerusalem and Berlin. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 17:25

    Google Scholar 

  18. McDonald MG, McKay BR (1964) Adverse drug reactions: experience of Mary Fletcher hospital during 1962. J Am Med Assoc 190:1071

    Google Scholar 

  19. Melmon KL (1971) Preventable drug reactions: cause and cures. N Engl J Med 284:1361

    Google Scholar 

  20. Miller RR (1974) Hospital admissions due to adverse drug reactions: a report from the Boston Collaborative Drug Surveillance Program. Arch Intern Med 134:219

    Google Scholar 

  21. Moser RH (1956) Diseases of medical progress. N Engl J Med 255:606

    Google Scholar 

  22. Ogilvie RI, Ruedy J (1967) Adverse drug reactions during hospitalization. Can Med Assoc J 97:1450

    Google Scholar 

  23. Ramsay LE, Freestone S, Silas JH (1982) Drug-related acute medical admissions. Human Toxicol 1:379

    Google Scholar 

  24. Reidenberg MM (1968) Registry of adverse drug reactions: report of the drug reaction subcommittee of the Greater Philadelphia Committee for Medical Pharmaceutical Sciences. J Am Med Assoc 203:85

    Google Scholar 

  25. Seidl LG, Thornton GF, Cluff LE (1965) Epidemiological studies of adverse drug reactions. Am J Public Health 55:1170

    Google Scholar 

  26. Seidel LG, Thornton GF, Smith JW, Cluff LE (1966) Studies on the epidemiology of adverse drug reactions. III — Reactions in patients on a general medical service. Bull Johns Hopkins Hosp 119:299

    Google Scholar 

  27. Smith JW, Seidl LG, Cluff LE (1966) Studies on the epidemiology of adverse drug reactions: V — Clinical factors influencing susceptibility. Ann Intern Med 65:629

    Google Scholar 

  28. Steel K, Gertman PM, Crescenzi C, Anderson J (1981) Iatrogenic illness on a general medical service at a university hospital. N Engl J Med 304:638

    Google Scholar 

  29. Trunet P, Le Gall JR, Lhoste F, Regnier B, Saillard Y, Carlet J, Rapin M (1980) The role of iatrogenic disease in admissions to intensive care. J Am Med Assoc 244:2617

    Google Scholar 

  30. Talley RB, Laventurier MF (1974) Drug-induced illness. J Am Med Assoc 229:1043

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Trunet, P., Borda, I.T., Rouget, AV. et al. The role of drug-induced illness in admissions to an intensive care unit. Intensive Care Med 12, 43–46 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00315371

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00315371

Key words

Navigation