Abstract
Objective: This study aims to identify and characterize possible drug interactions that affect critically ill patients hospitalized in an intensive care unit. This is an observational and descriptive study carried out in a tertiary reference public hospital in the Brazilian Northeast. Methods: All the medical prescriptions of the intensive care unit of this hospital were included in the study in April and May of 2018. The drug-drug interactions were identified and subsequently characterized according to the degree of severity in minors, moderate and larger, using the drugs.com application. Results: Of the 152 prescriptions evaluated, 96% presented drug interactions, of which 85% were moderate, 10% lower and 5% higher. The most frequent minor interactions were: acetylsalicylic acid and carvedilol (42%), amlodipine and enalapril (31%), acetylsalicylic acid and omeprazole (27%). Among the moderate-level interactions, phenytoin and ranitidine (38%), followed by enalapril and heparin (33%), and amlodipine and phenytoin (29%) were the most frequent. The most frequent interactions were: phenytoin and nimodipine (76%), phenytoin and fentanyl (14%) and fentanyl and ondansetron (10%). These results demonstrate a high rate of drug interactions in the intensive care unit. Conclusion: The importance of the active participation of the multidisciplinary team in the monitoring of critical patients, especially regarding the management of the possible consequences of the drug interactions, makes possible significant improvements in the clinical profile of these patients.