Adverse drug reactions in elderly patients as contributing factor for hospital admission: cross sectional study

Adverse reactions to drugs in elderly patients are a major clinical problem.1 Patients' perceptions about the presence of drug reactions may contribute to their earlier detection,2 but no studies have related patients' complaints about adverse reactions to the objective presence of reactions, and no study has been performed in elderly patients. All admissions of patients aged 70 and over to our medical wards from 1 February to 1 May 1994 were analysed. We excluded patients transferred from other wards and those readmitted within a month. Patients gave their informed consent. Data were collected on drug treatment, and patients were asked whether they thought any of their medical problems were caused by their drugs. The presence and severity of an adverse reaction was assessed from the history, examination, and laboratory tests, using the methods of Kramer et al3 and Hutchinson …