[752] DRUG-INDUCED HEPATITIS IN PATIENTS HOSPITALIZED FOR ABNORMAL LIVER TESTS

ackgrounds and aims. Adverse drug reactions account far 3–7% of acute ospital admission. An acute hepatic injury due to drugs (DII-been reported o occur in 5–10% of patients hospitalized for jaundice. The aim of study as to analyze the incidence and the outcome c in patients hospitalized far levated serum aminotransferases and/or bilirubin levels. ethods. A retrospective survey of patients hospitalized from January 1999 o August 2006 in a tertiary referral center in Northern Italy Hepatology unit f Niguarda Hospital in Milan. Diagnosis of probable DIH was performed ccording to an international clinical diagnostic and after the exclusion of ther potential causes such as viral hepatitis, biliary, alcohol, autoimmune, etabolic and hemodynamic disorder. esults.Twenty-seven out of 6741 patients (0.40%) were hospitalized for an cute symptomatic DIH. The median age was 51 years (range 17–78), were emales. Three patients (11%) underwent liver transplant for an acute liver ailure (ecstasy 1, flutamide 1, arai contraceptive 1) remaining 24 patients ad a favourable outcome. The pattern of DIH was mainly hepatocellular, holestatic or mixed in 6, 7 and 11 patient respectively. The drugs involved ith DIH were NSAIDs (11 cases), antibiotics (7 cases), hormones (5 cases), iclopidine (1 case); existing liver disease was present in two cases. Liver iopsy was performed in 12 out of 24 patients as a prognostic tool. The drug usp of causing liver toxicity was stopped immediately while prednisone was dministered in four patients. The mean time from drug withdra normalzation of liver tests varied with the different pattern of hepatic injury being 10, 42 and 47 days respectively in case of hepatoce cholestatic and mixed resentation. Normalization of liver tests was confirmed in two subsequent ontrols. onclusions. DIH may be a remarkable cause of hospital admission, in our xperience 1 case/250 admissions. DIH not only C1 significant, morbidty, mortality, but increases also hospital stays and costs. A more effective nd efficient method of detecting and prevE hepatoxicity drug-related must nvolve both patients and physicians.