Analyzing adverse drug reaction patterns in a tertiary care hospital of Dakshina Kannada district: A cross sectional study

Objectives: To evaluate which group of drug is causing maximum number of adverse reactions and to evaluate which gender/age group of patient is most vulnerable to adverse reactions. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective cross sectional study. This study included ADRs reported to Pharmacovigilance cell of Yenepoya Medical College Hospital from 1st January 2017 to 30th August 2019. A total of 100 ADRs were included. The details of ADRs were collected and data was analyzed using IBM SPSS 23 software. The results are expressed in percentages. Results: A total of 100 ADRs were evaluated. Nearly 81% of ADRs were due to antimicrobials, which is highest among all other groups of drugs. Parenteral drugs contributed highest ADRs (72%) followed by oral formulations (28%). A maximum number of ADRs were observed in 31–60 years of age group (48%). Both the genders contributed almost equal proportions of ADRs, with female being affected in 52% of cases. Most of the reactions were non-serious (80%) i.e maculopapular rash and itching followed by angioedema while serious reactions were only 20%. Based on causality assessment, the probable cases had a higher incidence (93%), followed by possible (4%) and remaining were certain (3%). Conclusion: The present study calls for the judicious use of the antimicrobial agents and it should be used only when necessary. Moreover, there should be increase in the awareness among the health care professionals about ADR reporting. Keywords: Pharmacovigilance, Cross sectional study, Antimicrobial agents, Health care professionals