Adverse drug reactions among patients admitted with infectious diseases at a Brazilian hospital

Abstract

Introduction: Despite the therapeutic benefits of drugs, adverse drug reactions (ADRs) occur. Method: We assessed a series of suspected ADRs identified from notifications and intensive monitoring of inpatients from March 2013 to March 2014. Results: Skin reactions predominated (31%). Systemic anti-infective agents were implicated in 16 (72%) reactions. Fifteen (68%) ADRs were classified as possible. The implicated drug was not correctly identified by the healthcare team in 12 cases. Conclusions: Some reactions were not correctly attributed to the causative drug(s), suggesting that the use of a validated evaluation method can promote successful identification of causal links between ADRs and drugs.