Evaluation of drug therapy problems and associated factors among hospitalized pediatric patients in Adigrat general hospital, Tigrai, northern Ethiopia: a retrospective cross-sectional study

Abstract

The study conducted at Adigrat General Hospital in Tigrai, Northern Ethiopia, evaluated drug therapy problems (DTPs) among hospitalized pediatric patients, highlighting the prevalence and associated factors. This retrospective cross-sectional study analyzed medical charts of 147 pediatric patients, revealing a high prevalence rate of 77.6% experiencing at least one DTP. The identified problems primarily included dosage too low (22.6%), unnecessary drug therapy (18.0%), and adverse drug reactions (ADRs) (15.1%), with an average of 2.9 DTPs per affected patient. Anti-infectives for systemic use were the most implicated drug class (68.8%), and both length of hospital stay and the number of comorbidities were significantly associated with DTP occurrences. The findings underscore the need for adherence to pediatric prescribing guidelines and the use of drug interaction screening tools to mitigate DTPs in the pediatric population.