Among hospital discharges in 2011, 32 states reported more than 1 million total adverse drug events, about a fourth of which originated during the hospital stay, according to a Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project statistical brief.
The brief presents data on 2011 ADE rates from 32 states participating in HCUP, which is sponsored by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Most ADEs were present on admission, at 388 per 10,000 discharges, compared with 128.7 ADEs per 10,000 discharges originating during the hospital stay. Here are the top 10 general and specific causes of ADEs originating during the hospital stay, according to the HCUP brief:
General causes
• Antibiotics and anti-infectives — 28 percent
• Nonspecific ADE cause (drug type not specified) — 16.6 percent
• Hormones — 16.1 percent
• Analgesics — 12.6 percent
• Systemic agents — 6.6 percent
• Agents affecting blood constituents — 6.6 percent
• Cardiovascular drugs — 5.8 percent
• CNS depressants and anesthetics — 5.2 percent
• Water, mineral and uric acid metabolism drugs — 4.8 percent
• Sedatives or hypnotics — 4.4 percent
Specific causes
• Clostridium difficile infection — 17.1 percent
• Steroids — 15.3 percent
• Antibiotics — 10.0 percent
• Opiates/narcotics — 8.7 percent
• Antineoplastic drugs — 6.0 percent
• Anticoagulants — 5.2 percent
• Other cardiovascular drugs — 4.6 percent
• NSAIDS — 4.0 percent
• Other diuretics — 3.6 percent
• Benzodiazepine — 1.7 percent
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