Adverse Drug Reactions

Intensive Hospital Monitoring of Adverse Reactions to Drugs

“…MacDonald and MacKay (1964) and Reidenberg (1968) found only 1% or less of patients admitted had adverse reactions to drugs, but their ascertainment of reactions depended on the continued collaboration of many workers in the hospital who were asked to submit report cards. Slone et al (1966) reported a rate of 844% for drugs causing adverse reactions in relation to the total number of drugs prescribed.…”

“…Others have noted the frequency of adverse reactions to digitalis (MacDonald and MacKay, 1964;Ogilvie and Ruedy, 1967). Seidl et al (1965) reported that 11 8% of patients given digitalis had reactions.…”

Adverse reactions in patients with rheumatic diseases. Retrospective analysis of causes of admission and out-patient attendance in a specialist centre.

“…A lower incidence of 1 to 10 per cent. has generally been found where the study relied on completion of adverse drug reaction report cards (MacDonald and MacKay, 1964;Schimmel, 1964;Reidenberg, 1968). Nevertheless, using intensive monitoring methods, an incidence as low as 154 per cent.…”

“…Analgesics account for less than 4 per cent. of reactions in surveys of adverse drug effects in general hospital medical wards (Ogilvie and Ruedy 1968), where digitalis preparations, diuretics, insulin, bronchodilators, antibiotics, tranquillizers, and antidepressants are most often implicated (MacDonald and MacKay, 1964;Ogilvie and Ruedy, 1968;Borda and others, 1968;Hurwitz, 1969;Hurwitz and Wade, 1969;Smidt and McQueen 1972). The limitations of this study must, however, be clearly stated.…”

A Survey on the Use of Antibiotics in Greek Hospitals

“…Anti biotic therapy is not a simple and safe procedure. The frequency of ad verse reactions from trivial to fatal ranges from 21 to 29% of treated patients [4,5], According to McCoombs [6] among 26 cases of systemic vasculitis, 16 were caused by antibiotics. Kislak et al [2] reported that in the Boston City Hospital 13% of the patients receiving antimicrobics acquired 'hospital' infections chiefly by staphylococci.…”