Table 2.
Characteristics of preadmission chronic medication use and chief complaints on admission in the study population
| Characteristics | No. of patients (%) (n = 339) |
|---|---|
| Use of high-risk medications | 50 (14.7) |
| ATC classification of medicationa | |
| Cardiovascular system | 287 (84.7) |
| Blood and blood-forming organs | 209 (61.7) |
| Alimentary tract and metabolism | 143 (42.2) |
| Nervous system | 66 (19.5) |
| Genitourinary system and sex hormones | 61 (18.0) |
| Musculoskeletal system | 58 (17.1) |
| Respiratory system | 24 (7.1) |
| Systemic hormonal preparations excluding sex hormones and insulins | 22 (6.5) |
| Category of chief complaints | |
| Cardiovascular disease | 105 (31.0) |
| Respiratory disease | 93 (27.4) |
| Gastrointestinal disease | 34 (10.0) |
| Injury and poisoning | 30 (8.8) |
| Infectious disease | 20 (5.9) |
| Urogenital disease | 16 (4.7) |
| Neoplasm/oncological disease | 16 (4.7) |
| Neurological disease | 16 (4.7) |
| Endocrine disease | 9 (2.7) |
aNumbers are not mutually exclusive. The following ATC codes were excluded: dermatologicals (ATC D), anti-infective for systemic use (ATC J), anti-neoplastic products (ATC L), insecticides and repellents (ATC P), and sensory organs (ATC S)