Polypharmacy and Drug Interactions in the COVID-19 Pandemic
Barcia, Ricardo Enrique; Keller, Guillermo Alberto; Bello, Natalia; Azzato, Francisco; Diez, Roberto Alejandro; Giunti, Guido (2023-11-15)
Barcia, Ricardo Enrique
Keller, Guillermo Alberto
Bello, Natalia
Azzato, Francisco
Diez, Roberto Alejandro
Giunti, Guido
Charles University in Prague
15.11.2023
Barcia, Ricardo Enrique, et al. “Polypharmacy and Drug Interactions in the COVID-19 Pandemic.” Prague Medical Report, vol. 124, no. 4, 2023, pp. 392–412, https://doi.org/10.14712/23362936.2023.30
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
© 2023 The Authors. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0).
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
© 2023 The Authors. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0).
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:oulu-202401101175
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:oulu-202401101175
Tiivistelmä
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic generated a great impact on health systems. We compared evolution, polypharmacy, and potential drug-drug interactions (P-DDIs) in COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 hospitalizations during first wave of pandemic. Prescriptions for hospitalized patients ≥ 18 years (COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 rooms) between April and September 2020 were included. The computerized medical decision support system SIMDA and the physician order entry system Hdc.DrApp.la were used. Patients in COVID-19 rooms were divided into detectable and non-detectable, according to real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Number of drugs, prescribed on day 1, after day 1, and total; polypharmacy, excessive polypharmacy, and P-DDIs were compared. 1,623 admissions were evaluated: 881 COVID-19, 538 detectable and 343 non-detectable, and 742 non-COVID-19. Mortality was 15% in COVID-19 and 13% in non-COVID-19 (RR [non-COVID-19 vs. COVID-19]: 0.84 [95% CI] [0.66–1.07]). In COVID-19, mortality was 19% in detectable and 9% in non-detectable (RR: 2.07 [1.42–3.00]). Average number of drugs was 4.54/patient (SD ± 3.06) in COVID-19 and 5.92/patient (±3.24) in non-COVID-19 (p<0.001) on day 1 and 5.57/patient (±3.93) in COVID-19 and 9.17/patient (±5.27) in non-COVID-19 (p<0.001) throughout the hospitalization. 45% received polypharmacy in COVID-19 and 62% in non-COVID-19 (RR: 1.38 [1.25–1.51]) and excessive polypharmacy 7% in COVID-19 and 14% in non-COVID-19 (RR: 2.09 [1.54–2.83]). The frequency of total P-DDIs was 0.31/patient (±0.67) in COVID-19 and 0.40/patient (±0.94) in non-COVID-19 (p=0.022). Hospitalizations in the COVID-19 setting are associated with less use of drugs, less polypharmacy and less P-DDIs. Detectable patients had higher mortality.
The COVID-19 pandemic generated a great impact on health systems. We compared evolution, polypharmacy, and potential drug-drug interactions (P-DDIs) in COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 hospitalizations during first wave of pandemic. Prescriptions for hospitalized patients ≥ 18 years (COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 rooms) between April and September 2020 were included. The computerized medical decision support system SIMDA and the physician order entry system Hdc.DrApp.la were used. Patients in COVID-19 rooms were divided into detectable and non-detectable, according to real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Number of drugs, prescribed on day 1, after day 1, and total; polypharmacy, excessive polypharmacy, and P-DDIs were compared. 1,623 admissions were evaluated: 881 COVID-19, 538 detectable and 343 non-detectable, and 742 non-COVID-19. Mortality was 15% in COVID-19 and 13% in non-COVID-19 (RR [non-COVID-19 vs. COVID-19]: 0.84 [95% CI] [0.66–1.07]). In COVID-19, mortality was 19% in detectable and 9% in non-detectable (RR: 2.07 [1.42–3.00]). Average number of drugs was 4.54/patient (SD ± 3.06) in COVID-19 and 5.92/patient (±3.24) in non-COVID-19 (p<0.001) on day 1 and 5.57/patient (±3.93) in COVID-19 and 9.17/patient (±5.27) in non-COVID-19 (p<0.001) throughout the hospitalization. 45% received polypharmacy in COVID-19 and 62% in non-COVID-19 (RR: 1.38 [1.25–1.51]) and excessive polypharmacy 7% in COVID-19 and 14% in non-COVID-19 (RR: 2.09 [1.54–2.83]). The frequency of total P-DDIs was 0.31/patient (±0.67) in COVID-19 and 0.40/patient (±0.94) in non-COVID-19 (p=0.022). Hospitalizations in the COVID-19 setting are associated with less use of drugs, less polypharmacy and less P-DDIs. Detectable patients had higher mortality.
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