Evaluating Drug-Related Complications in Elective Total Hip and Knee Arthroplasty: A Retrospective Study

Introduction: Arthroplasty, often performed for degenerative diseases like osteoarthritis, significantly improves patient quality of life by alleviating pain and restoring mobility. This study focuses on drug-related complications in elective total joint arthroplasties, an area of concern as these complications can lead to adverse outcomes and prolonged hospital stays.Methods: The study included 100 patients who suffered elective total hip or knee joint arthroplasty for six months. The demographic details, co-morbid conditions, type of arthroplasty procedure, and DRPs were collected from the patient’s medical records. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics.Results: The study found that 53% of the patients who suffered elective total joint arthroplasty were male, while 47% were female. The majority of patients (43%) were in the age group of 61-70 years. Diabetes mellitus was the most common co-morbid condition (48%), followed by hypertension (20%). Total hip replacement surgery was the most common procedure (71%), while total knee replacement surgery was performed in only 29% of the cases. The study found that 90.6% of DRPs were related to postoperative medications, while only 0.5% were related to home medications. The DRPs included inappropriate dose or strength (24.5%), inappropriate frequency (75%), omission of medication (57.5%), contraindication (1.1%), incorrect drug (0.5%), and other potential indications (8.7%).Conclusion: The study’s findings can help develop strategies to improve the quality of care provided to these patients. The study recommends the involvement of pharmacists within the preadmission and prehabilitation clinics to reduce the incidence of DRPs. How to cite this article:Sriram K, Saravanakumar A, Sankar V, Senniappan P, Manivasakam P, Anandharaj G. Evaluating Drug-Related Complications in Elective Total Hip and Knee Arthroplasty: A Retrospective Study. Chettinad Health City Med J. 2024;13(4):85-90. DOI: https://doi.org/10.24321/2278.2044.202463