Population: Patients age 19 years and older presenting to the ED who reported using at least one prescription or over the counter medication in the two weeks prior.Evidence based criteria to enhance the identification and treatment of ADEs are needed to ensure high-risk patients are evaluated by clinical pharmacists and to improve their outcomes.Ĭlinical Question: Can a clinical decision rule (tool) accurately identify patients presenting to the ED with adverse drug events? In centers where they are available, routine medication review in all patients presenting to the ED is not feasible. However, clinical pharmacists are a scarce resource and not available in many centers. When ADEs are not recognized and corrected, inappropriate medication use continues, resulting in excess morbidity and health care resource utilization.Ĭlinical pharmacists are trained to focus on medication management and are more likely to recognize medication-related ED presentations than physicians (Ref 11). Unfortunately, 20-50% of ADEs are not recognized by emergency and inpatient unit physicians (Refs 7-10). ADEs cause or contribute to one in nine ED visits, and of deaths attributed to medical care, medications are the most common cause (Ref 3-6). She takes no regular medications however, she did start amoxicillin/clavulanate (Clavulin or Augmentin) for a sinus infection three days ago.īackground: Preventable adverse drug events (ADEs) are a common cause of ED visits, hospitalizations and death (Ref 1,2). There have been no recent suspicious meals or water sources, camping, spelunking, sick contacts and she does not have any birds or reptiles at home. Her vital signs are within normal limits and she is tolerating oral fluids.

Chris also has his own #FOAMed blog called Standing on the Corner Minding My Own Business ( SOCMOB).Ĭase: A 54-year-old female presents to the emergency department (ED) with abdominal pain and profuse non-bloody diarrhea for the past 24 hours. He is currently the host of CAEP Casts, which highlights educational innovations from emergency medicine residency programs across Canada. Chris Bond is an emergency physician and clinical lecturer at the University of Calgary.

Prospective Validation of Clinical Criteria to Identify Emergency Department Patients at High Risk for Adverse Drug Events.

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