Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
4
pubmed:dateCreated
1990-5-7
pubmed:abstractText
Medication prescribing patterns and costs of specific drug therapies in a trauma intensive-care unit (TICU) were studied. Demographic data and total drug use (scheduled, p.r.n., and single-dose medications) were recorded for all patients admitted to a TICU whose length of stay exceeded 24 hours. Scheduled and p.r.n. medications were categorized into major drug classes for purposes of analysis. Cost estimates were calculated for all scheduled medications. Correlations were made between demographic variables, injury severity indices, drug use, and length of stay by using simple linear regression. A one-way ANOVA was used to compare drug use between the trauma types. For the 278 patients who met the inclusion criteria, the mean +/- S.D. number of drugs prescribed was 9.1 +/- 6.5. Scheduled medications accounted for 58% of total drug use. Mean +/- S.D. duration of scheduled drug therapy was 5.0 +/- 4.8 days. Age (by decade), injury severity score, trauma score, and length of stay correlated with total and scheduled drug use per patient. Drug use (total, scheduled, and p.r.n.) did not differ significantly by trauma type. Antimicrobial therapy, stress ulcer prophylaxis, and bronchodilator therapy accounted for more than 66% of all scheduled drugs used; total cost estimates for these three drug categories exceeded $47,000 over the six-month study period. Analgesics, antipyretics, sedatives, and muscle relaxants constituted nearly 75% of all p.r.n. drug orders. Drug use in the TICU was extensive. The drug categories identified in this study may be useful in future cost containment efforts and initiation of drug use evaluations.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Apr
pubmed:issn
0002-9289
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
47
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
805-10
pubmed:dateRevised
2004-11-17
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
1990
pubmed:articleTitle
Drug use in a trauma intensive-care unit.
pubmed:affiliation
Department of Clinical Pharmacy, University of Tennessee, Memphis 38163.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article