Korean J Med.  2004 Sep;67(3):290-296.

The frequency of adverse drug reactions in a tertiary care hostpital in Korea

• Choi JH
• Shin YS
• Suh CH
• Nahm DH
• Park HS

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The clinical features of adverse drug reactions are various and the incidence is increasing. However, there has been no published data on the prevalence of adverse reactions to drug in Korea.
METHODS
There were 301 adverse drug reactions occurring in 287 patients in Ajou University Hospital from May, 2002 through November, 2003. We analyzed the frequency of each causative drugs and clinical manifestations of adverse drug reactions.
RESULTS
The most prevalent causative drug was nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (66.5%), followed by antimicrobials (17.8%), anticonvulsant (3.6%) and anti-cancer drug/immunosuppressant (3.3%). The leading clinical feature was cutaneous manifestations (83.1%), especially urticaria/angioedema, followed by respiratory manifestations (16.3%) and anaphylaxis (4.3%). The most common clinical manifestation of adverse drug reactions to NSAIDs was urticaria and/or angioedema (73.8%). Beta-lactams were the most common antimicrobials causing adverse drug reactions, and maculopapular exanthema (53.1%) was the most frequent manifestation.
CONCLUSION
The most common causative drug of adverse drug reactions was NSAIDs and the leading clinical feature was cutaneous manifestations in this hospital. Further epidemiologic studies will be needed to extend the overall incidence of adverse drug reactions in this country.

Keyword

Adverse drug reaction; Frequency; Urticaria and angioedema; NSAID

MeSH Terms

Anaphylaxis
Angioedema
Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal
beta-Lactams
Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions*
Epidemiologic Studies
Exanthema
Humans
Incidence
Korea*
Prevalence
Tertiary Healthcare*
Urticaria
Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal
beta-Lactams