To what extent are children harmed by medications in pediatric intensive care units?

In an observational study conducted across three pediatric intensive care units (PICUs) in England over a three-month period in 2019, one-sixth of patients experienced at least one adverse drug event, in which they were harmed by a medication. 

In the study published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 302 patients were included and 62 adverse drug events were confirmed. The estimated incidence of adverse drug events were 20.5 per 100 patients, and most were preventable. Medications for the central nervous system, infections, and the cardiovascular system were commonly implicated with adverse drug events. 

"This multicentre study is the first of its kind in the UK hospitals, and its findings can guide future remedial interventions to reduce avoidable medication-related harm in this vulnerable patient population," said lead author Anwar A. Alghamdi, Ph.D., of the University of Manchester, in the UK.