Estudio de interacciones farmacológicas en pacientes ingresados en el Hospital General Machala

Abstract

The pharmacological treatment in hospital settings is vital for addressing comorbidities, but pharmacological interactions create a gap between recommendations and real clinical practice. This study addresses the need to systematically evaluate these interactions in hospitalized patients, especially at the IESS General Hospital in Machala, where polypharmacy is common. The study aimed to identify, analyze, and classify pharmacological interactions in hospitalized patients across different hospital services. Specifically, it sought to determine the prevalence of interactions, examine their clinical relevance, and establish their severity to better understand their impact on treatment safety and efficacy. A descriptive and observational approach was employed, with a prospective design to collect data from medical prescriptions. Patients aged between 13 and 96 years were analyzed, with an average age of 57.3 years; 54% showed some interaction, with the Clinic service having the most cases (19.1%). A total of 573 interactions were identified, with an average of 4.06 per patient, mostly requiring monitoring (44.7%). The prevalence of these interactions in hospitalized patients is critical due to their severity and consequences, increasing hospital costs and affecting the economic burden of the healthcare system. A significant relationship was found between the number of medications and the number of interactions per patient, highlighting polypharmacy as a relevant factor.