Actual and potential drug interactions of psychotropic drugs in patients of the COVID-19 medicine service of the emergency hospital-Lima, 2021

Abstract

Background: Actual and potential drug–drug interactions of psychotropic drugs in patients of the COVID-19 Medicine Service of the Villa El Salvador Emergency Hospital during the months of February to July, 2021. Methods: The study is deductive, retroprospective, quantitative, applied, cross-sectional observational. The instrument used was a collection card for 86 pharmacotherapeutic follow-ups where psychotropic drugs for anxiety, depression and insomnia were registered. Results: In the actual and potential drug interactions of psychotropic drugs, according to the degree of severity dimension, it was identified that the important indicator represented the highest frequency of 89% of the interactions; according to the type of interaction dimension, it was identified that the pharmacodynamic indicator presented a higher frequency with 53%; according to the clinical evidence dimension, it was identified that the fair indicator had a higher frequency with 73% interactions; in the manifestation dimension, it was identified that the potential indicator presented a higher frequency with 92.2% interactions. In its moment of appearance dimension, it was identified that the quick indicator had a higher prevalence with 5.5% of real interactions. In its causality algorithm dimension, the probable indicator was identified as having the highest frequency with 7.25% of actual interactions. With respect to sex, the male presented 49.9% of potential interactions and in the real interactions, the female sex presented a higher incidence with 4.3% interactions. The average age of the potential interactions was 48.83 years, and the average age of the real interactions was 45.67 years. Sertraline presented 53.2% of potential interactions and in relation to real drug interactions the one that presented the highest frequency was mirtazapine with 3.5% interactions. Conclusion: We conclude that the increase in the prescription of psychotropic drugs is related to a higher probability of interactions. © 2023 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.