Risk factors for adverse drug reactions in pediatric inpatients: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND

The main objective of the present systematic review is to identify potential risk factors for adverse drug reactions (ADRs) through prospective cohort studies in pediatric inpatients.

METHODS

The data search was done in the following electronic databases PubMed/MEDLINE; Scopus; LILACS and Web of Science from the earliest record until 31 May 2015. Two reviewers independently screened each study and one of them assessed the methodological quality according to the Newcastle-Ottawa scale for cohort studies. The data extraction was conducted according to Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) initiative for cohort studies.

RESULTS

The only risk factor observed in all studies was the increase in the number of prescription drugs. However, other factors were identified, such as the increase in the length of stay or the number of low- or high-risk drugs prescribed, use of general anesthesia and oncological diagnosis. The cumulative incidence of ADR was 16.4% (95% confidence interval: 15.6 to 17.2). The main professional responsible for ADR identification was the pharmacist and the dominant category among the ADRs were gastrointestinal disorders. In addition, analgesics, antibacterial agents and corticosteroids were the drug classes commonly associated with ADRs. The methodology used in this study was tried to homogenize the data extracted; however, this was not sufficient to correct the discrepancies so it was not possible to perform a meta-analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

The increase in the number of prescription drugs was the main risk factor in this population. However, additional studies are required to identify the risk factors for ADRs in pediatric inpatients.