INVC,,
Delhi,,
Over 50% of all adverse drug reactions treated in hospitals and emergency care are preventable, said Padma Shri and Dr B C Roy National Awardee Dr KK Aggarwal President, Heart Care Foundation of India, Dil Ka Darbar to be held on 23rd September at Talkatora Stadium and MTNL Perfect Health Mela.
Many preventable drug reactions like drug overdoses and internal bleeding associated with the improper use of blood thinners and painkillers are life-threatening especially in the elderly. There are many reasons for these reactions and may include poor coordination of care, lack of time and knowledge among health professionals, and lack of patient education, according to Swedish researchers, who conducted a meta-analysis of 22 studies. Human error is inevitable, and therefore systems must be made to reduce the error.
The study concluded that:
- In outpatient setting, the frequency of preventable adverse drug reactions resulting in hospitalization or emergency treatment is 2% and of these 51 percent are preventable.
- In the elderly, 71 percent of drug reactions are preventable.
- In admitted patients the frequency of harmful drug reactions is 1.6 percent and 45 percent of them are preventable.
- A third of preventable adverse drug reactions are life-threatening.
