Drug interactions and lethal drug combinations

Abstract

Although the development of drugs of greater potency and efficacy confers on the physician increasing power to treat serious diseases, it also increases the number and seriousness of potential adverse effects and drug interactions which can occur. Most hospital patients receive more than one drug at a time, the average number often being greater than five (Smith, Seidl, and Cluff, 1966). The incidence of drug reactions rises with the number of drugs prescribed simultaneously. In patients prescribed one to five drugs the incidence of reactions is 18-6%, while in patients prescribed six or more it rises to 814 % (Hurwitz and Wade, 1969). 94 copyright.

Antifungal Effects of Combined Extracts of Euphorbia abyssinica and Coleus Species

“…This was because of some components of the body may play some roles when the drug gets into the system. These interactions between the tissues and the drugs would also cause changes that might affect the activity and effects of others that use the same receptor type [33] e.g Calcium, magnesium and aluminium ions, which were components of some antacids, could calcify and crystallise metaltetracycline and render it less absorbable [33]. Drugs that has been taken orally, pass through the digestive tract and encountered by digestive enzymes prior to their absorption into the blood.…”

“…Drugs that has been taken orally, pass through the digestive tract and encountered by digestive enzymes prior to their absorption into the blood. This condition might cause a vast amount of the drug to be lost through the quick metabolic activity of the hepatic system -the socalled "first pass effect" [33]. Competitive Inhibition also occured amongst the drugs because some of them extensively bound to plasma proteins and, therefore, competition for binding sites, on the receptor, may result in an inadequate serum concentration, of the antibiotic being reached, with consequent failure of therapy [33].…”