Drug-Drug Interactions in the Red Zone of the Emergency Department: A Retrospective Study

Aim: This study aimed to assess the potential for drug-drug interactions in adult patients admitted to the emergency departments. Material and Methods: This cross-sectional study included 410 patients who were admitted to the red zone of the emergency departments, examined, treated, and received multiple medications. Drug-drug interaction analysis was conducted using LexiInteract software. Results: The median age of patients was 63 (range, 19-96) years, with 55.4% (n=227) being female and 44.6% (n=183) were male. A total of 1,230 medications were identified among the patients. In 181 (44.1%) patients, 330 possible drug-drug interactions were detected. While there was no significant difference in the rate of drug-drug interactions between male and female patients (p=0.658), this rate was higher in patients aged 65 years and over (p=0.048) and patients with polypharmacy (p<0.001). Also, the interaction rates were higher in patients admitted with cerebrovascular disease (p=0.038) and trauma (p=0.002). According to the Lexicomp© drug information system, potential drug-drug interactions were classified into risk category C (n=299, 72.9%), risk category D (n=22, 5.4%), and risk category X (n=9, 2.2%). The most frequently interacting drug pairs were Furosemide-Salbutamol in category C, Enoxaparin-Acetylsalicylic acid in category D, and Dexketoprofen-Acetylsalicylic acid in category X. Conclusion: Nearly half of the patients treated in the red zone of the emergency department were at risk of drug interactions. Assessing the risk of drug-drug interactions is essential before initiating medical instructions in critical areas of emergency department patient care, and follow-up should be organized about potential adverse effects.