Research Journal of Medical Sciences
ISSN: Online 1993-6095ISSN: Print 1815-9346
Abstract
Drug‐drug interactions (DDIs) appear to be the most common issue that can alter the overall therapeutic response while increasing hospital stays and medical costs. They are more common in patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) than in people with other disease states, according to studies. This prospective observational study was conducted in 2016 on hospitalized cardiac patients at a tertiary care hospital. Of 687 screened patients, 500 met the inclusion criteria, excluding those <18 years, with medical handicap, or on alternative medicine. Data were collected via direct patient interviews and review of case sheets, recording demographics, clinical profile, and prescribed medications. Potential drug–drug interactions (pDDIs), including routine and PRN drugs, were identified using Micromedex® and www.drugs.com, and classified by type (pharmacodynamic or pharmacokinetic) and severity (major, moderate, minor) based on clinical relevance. Frequencies of pDDIs were summarized with respect to patient demographics, diagnosis, number of medications, hospital stay, and drugs involved. Of 500 cardiac patients, pDDIs were identified in 415 cases. Males had a slightly higher prevalence (290; 57.68%) than females (125; 56.87%). Most interactions occurred in patients with hospital stays of 4–6 days (380 cases) and were more common in those aged 60–70 years. A higher incidence (68.72%) was observed in patients prescribed more than seven medications. Hypertension was the most frequent comorbidity (266; 64%), followed by angina with diabetes mellitus (149; 36%). Each patient had one or two diagnoses on average. Aspirin + clopidogrel was the most common interacting drug pair, producing major pharmacodynamic interactions in 118 cases (28.43%).This study showed a high incidence of pDDIs in cardiac patients, associated with longer hospital stays, male gender, older age, and polypharmacy. Proper medication management and discontinuation of non‐essential drugs are recommended to reduce pDDIs. Assessing the severity of each DDI is crucial for guiding clinical decisions.
How to cite this article:
Dr. K.N. Saivisveswar. Evaluation of Clinically Significant Drug‐Drug Interactions in Cardiovascular Therapy Among Hospitalized Patients: A Cross‐Sectional Study.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.36478/makrjms.2016.6.760.764
URL: https://www.makhillpublications.co/view-article/1815-9346/makrjms.2016.6.760.764