Adverse drug reactions report among hospitalized patients with hypertension in a Nigerian Tertiary Healthcare Centre: a retrospective study

Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are serious clinical problem with growing global concern. This study focused on incidence and outcome of ADRs among in-patients with hypertension in Nigeria. This was a cross-sectional study on incidence of adverse drug reactions among in-patients with hypertension conducted in the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, Nigeria, within June 2012 to May 2013. Of 196 patients, 105 (53.6%) were male, and 91 (46.4%) were female. Prevalence of ADRs was 53 (27.04%), of these, 28 (52.8%) were male, and 25 (47.2%) were female. Adverse drug reaction was cause of admission in 2 (1.02%) patients. Prevalence of ADRs during hospitalization was 51 (26.02%) patients. Patients with adverse drug event spent approximately additional 5 days more in bed compared to those without adverse drug reactions (p = 0.028). ADRs experienced by the patients were managed by withdrawing the suspected drug(s). In conclusion, ADR was cause of admission in 1% of in-patients with hypertension, while ADRs was recorded in 53 (27.04%) hospitalised patients with hypertension. Patients that experienced ADR spent additional approximately five days in hospital compared to those without adverse drug effect during hospitalization.