Du et al developed a score for identifying an adverse drug reaction (ADR) in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The authors are from multiple institutions in the United States and Canada.
|
Question |
Yes |
NA |
No |
|
time course consistent with ADR to drug |
6 |
0 |
-7 |
|
adverse event well-documented for the drug |
0 |
0 |
-6 |
|
published reports of this adverse event in neonates caused by drug |
4 |
0 |
-4 |
|
adverse event can be explained by a pre-existing medical condition |
-3 |
0 |
7 |
|
adverse event can be explained by a concomitant drug |
-3 |
0 |
2 |
|
objective evidence for an alternative explanation |
-3 |
0 |
3 |
|
clinical improvement once drug stopped |
4 |
0 |
-1 |
|
adverse event less severe if drug dose recuted |
4 |
0 |
-2 |
|
clinical improvement if specific antagonist given |
4 |
0 |
-1 |
|
clinical improvement while still taking drug |
-2 |
0 |
1 |
|
recurrence of adverse event when drug restarted |
9 |
0 |
-1 |
|
presence of toxic level of drug in blood or other body fluid |
4 |
0 |
-2 |
|
unequivocal evidence of overdose |
4 |
0 |
-4 |
total score =
= SUM(points for all 13 questions)
Interpretation:
• minimum score: -39
• maximum score: 52
• The higher the score the more likely that the drug can explain the adverse event.
|
Score |
Drug As Cause |
|
<= 2 |
unlikely |
|
3 to 6 |
possible |
|
7 to 13 |
probable |
|
>= 14 |
definite |
Specialty: Toxicology, Emergency Medicine, Critical Care
