Role of global trigger tool in tracking adverse drug reactions in tertiary care hospital

Research Article
Dr. Mohammed Ziauddin, Nisar Ahamad, Mohammed Mujtaba, Vallepu Sandhya, Anyam Karan Kumar, P. Salome Satya Vani* and M. Bhagavan Raju
DOI: 
http://dx.doi.org/10.24327/ijrsr.20241506.0895
Subject: 
Pharmacy
KeyWords: 
Adverse drug reactions, Global Trigger Tool, Antiemetic medications, Medication-related problems
Abstract: 

An adverse drug reaction (ADR) is a response that is noticeably unpleasant or damaging as a result of using a medication, and the Global Trigger Tool is used to efficiently identify these types of events. The Global Trigger Tool was used in this study to measure the prevalence of ADRs and evaluate the effectiveness of trigger mechanisms for their identification. Over five months, 300 randomly selected inpatient files were included in a retrospective observational study. Following these files went through to trigger identification, 116 (38.67%) of them included triggers. 20 (17.24%) of the triggered files had ADRs confirmed. The adverse drug reactions were divided into different categories: 60% had to do with the use of antiemetic medications, 10% had to do with procedures, 5% resulted from stopping medicine suddenly, 15% involved the use of chlorpheniramine, and 10% had to do with blood transfusion procedures. Further research on the occurrence of ADRs in other disciplines was conducted by the study. Cardiology saw a high incidence rate, with 66.7% of identified triggers leading to confirmed ADRs. The percentage in radiation oncology was significantly greater, with 87.5% of triggers leading to adverse drug reactions. Obstetrics and Gynecology (OBG) had a lower incidence at 10%, whereas Orthopaedics and Internal Medicine each had a trigger-to-ADR conversion rate of 16.7%. Nephrology had a single trigger that led to a confirmed ADR, signifying a 100% occurrence, while Surgical Neurology demonstrated a 66.7% trigger-to-ADR conversion. Based on the WHO UMC causality scale, 15 ADRs were categorized as "probable/likely," four as "possible," and two as "unlikely." The study shows how well the Global Trigger Tool works in a tertiary care setting to identify ADRs. The results highlight the significance of ongoing observation and reporting, and intervention to reduce the harm that medication-related problems cause to patients. In healthcare settings, the use of such tools and tactics may significantly enhance medication management and patient safety.