Analysis of fatal adverse drug events encountered in the ED

Recently published research from Italy was conducted to describe the characteristics of adverse drug events (ADEs) with a fatal outcome encountered in the ED setting, including the drugs involved, the frequency of the events and an estimate of the preventability of the issues, with data collected over a period spanning 2012-2018. The study did exclude cases with vaccine-related ADEs, overdose or suicide, and ADEs that occurred during the hospitalisation. The data addressed 429 cases, 92 of which were ultimately excluded leaving 187 cases involving women and 150 where the subjects were men (mean age of 79 and of 77 years, respectively). Anticoagulants and antiplatelet agents accounted for more than 40% of all cases and the most frequent issue was haemorrhage (37.5%). 25% of the reactions were adjudged to have been preventable. See more details here.