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Adverse drug reactions in an emergency medical dispatching centre

  • Pharmacoepidemiology and Prescription
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European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to assess the incidence of adverse drug reactions (ADR) leading to call an emergency medical dispatching centre.

Methods

A prospective, observational, monocentric clinical study performed over a 2-year period (2011–2012) in a French prehospital emergency dispatching centre, the Service d'Aide Médicale Urgente (SAMU) covering 1,156,000 inhabitants. All adult patients (age ≥ 18) who called for any cause were included. We created an electronic trigger ‘iatrogenic event’ implemented by the dispatching physician for each suspected case of ADR, then we completed the analyses of all the cases with a chief complain represented in more than 1 % of the triggered cases. The primary outcome variable was the occurrence of any possible ADR. We then used the French method of causal relationship assessment.

Results

The SAMU dispatched 339,915 calls during the study. In total, 1,467 ADRs were identified, representing 0.95 % (CI 95 % 0.90–1.00 %) of cases. ADRs were as serious (SADR) in 51.06 % (CI 95 % 48.45–53.67 %) of cases. The major ADR observed was haemorrhage, (42.81 % (CI 95 % 40.62–45.00 %), n = 628) followed by allergy, hypoglycaemia, vomiting, dizziness and drowsiness. The class of drugs most frequently involved was antithrombotic (43.69 % (CI 95 % 41.45–45.93 %), n = 641), followed by insulin (17.98 % (CI 95 %:17.06–18.90 %), n = 264).

Conclusions

Emergency calls concerning ADRs were estimated as 9/1,000, and one out of two is serious.

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Conflict of interest

The authors have no conflict of interest to report.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire de Pharmacologie Médicale et Clinique, Equipe de Pharmacoépidémiologie de l’UMR INSERM 1027, Faculté de Médecine, Université Paul-Sabatier, 37, Allées Jules Guesde, 31000, Toulouse, France

    E. Dehours, V. Bounes, H. Bagheri & J. L. Montastruc

  2. Service de Pharmacologie Médicale et Clinique, Centre Midi-Pyrénées de Pharmacovigilance, de Pharmacoépidémiologie et d’Informations sur le Médicament, Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire de Toulouse, 37, Allées Jules Guesde, 31000, Toulouse, France

    E. Dehours, V. Bounes, H. Bagheri & J. L. Montastruc

  3. Pôle de médicine d’urgence, SAMU 31, Hôpital Purpan, Place du Dr Baylac, 31059, Toulouse, France

    E. Dehours, V. Bounes & J. L. Ducassé

  4. Hôpital Pellegrin, Pôle de médecine d’urgence, Place Amélie Raba-Léon, 33000, Bordeaux, France

    B. Vallé

Authors
  1. E. Dehours
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  2. V. Bounes
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  3. H. Bagheri
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  4. B. Vallé
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  5. J. L. Ducassé
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  6. J. L. Montastruc
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to E. Dehours.

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Dehours, E., Bounes, V., Bagheri, H. et al. Adverse drug reactions in an emergency medical dispatching centre. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 70, 881–887 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00228-014-1685-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00228-014-1685-y

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