Adverse drug reactions in internal medicine units and associated risk factors.

Objectives: This study was designed to assess the prevalence of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in the internal medicine wards of two teaching hospitals, identify the most common ADRs, the principal medications involved, and determine the risk factors implicated in the occurrence of such ADRs.

Methods: All admissions over 10 weeks were followed prospectively using an intensive drug surveillance method to identify ADRs. Clinical laboratory data, the drug prescribed, and ADRs were taken into consideration.

[Influenza vaccination and hospitalization in high risk patients].

Background And Objective: We aimed to analyze the degree of utilization of influenza vaccines in patients who are 65 years and older with decompensated chronic diseases during the 2006-07 influenza epidemic and to compare it with the 2000-01 epidemic. We also investigated the effectiveness of the influenza vaccination in the prevention of incomes for cardiopulmonary illness in this group.

Patients And Method: Six hundred and forty two patients were studied; average (standard deviation) age was 74 (10) years, and 404 (63%) were males.