Abstract

RODRIGUEZ DUQUE, Raisa; JIMENEZ LOPEZ, Giset; FERNANDEZ MANCHON, Eduardo  and  GONZALEZ DELGADO, Blanca. Characterization of the adverse reactions to drugs in the elderly: Cuba, 2003-2005. Rev Cubana Farm [online]. 2007, vol.41, n.3, pp. 0-0. ISSN 1561-2988.

The follow-up of adverse reactions in risk populations as the elderly is a priority of the Cuban drug surveillance system. A descriptive and prospective research was conducted to characterize the notifications of suspicions of drug adverse reactions in individuals over 60 that were received at the National Coordinating Unit for Drug Surveillance from January 1 to December 31, 2005. The objectives of the work were the identification of the pharmacological groups that produced the adverse reactions, as well as the most involved drugs, the classification of the adverse reactions, according to severity, the mechanism of production, the body system affected and the degreee of imputability. Likewise, it was analyzed wether or not the presence of factors as polypharmacy and the personal pathological history predispose the appearance of the drug adverse reaction and its posible prevention. The most significant results showed that the drug groups with the highest representativity proved to be the antibacterials, the antihypertensives and the nonopiod anti-inflammatories and analgesics. The most commonly used drugs were captopril, procaine penicillin and nifedipine. The mild reactions and the possible reactions had the greatest percentage. The type A production mechanism prevailed, the most affected body system was the skin and adnexa , and the presence of personal pathological history propitiated in a large extent the appearance of adverse reactions to drugs, which did not happen with polypharmacy. 82.3 % of the total of the studied adverse reactions to drugs could have been prevented

Keywords : Drug surveillance; adverse reactions; drugs; elderly.

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