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Use of albumin in three French university hospitals: is prescription monitoring still useful in 2004 |
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Use of albumin in three French university hospitals: is prescription monitoring still useful in 2004?
Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf. 2006 Sep 28
Pradel V, Tardieu S, Micallef J, Signoret A, Villano P, Gauthier L, Vanelle P, Blin O.
Assistance Publique des Hopitaux de Marseille.
PURPOSE:
Use of albumin (indications and quantities involved) has not been
assessed in France since major changes occurred after the publication
of Cochrane group meta-analysis. The objectives of this study were to
measure the repartition of albumin indications in three French
university hospitals in 2004 and to assess the feasibility and
usefulness to implement a prescription-monitoring program.
METHODS:
Exhaustive record of albumin prescription during 2 months in three
French university hospitals of Marseille. Inclusion of all patients
with a first prescription of albumin between 15 March 2004 and 15 May
2004. Indication, formulation and quantity prescribed were recorded for
each prescription. RESULTS: One hundred and eighty-seven patients
received a total of 426 prescriptions for a total quantity of 21 094 g
of albumin during the study. The first indications were hypoalbuminemia
(33% of total quantity), plasmapheresis (30.2%) and ascites or
hepatorenal syndrome (13.7%). Fifty per cent of total quantity was used
by 14 patients (7.5% of included patients). CONCLUSIONS: Most of
albumin consumption in our study is concentrated on recognized
indications or indications without alternative to albumin. The
different levels of analysis (number of patient treated, number of
prescription and quantities used) must be taken into account when
analyzing medications such as albumin. Only a marginal proportion of
consumption is expected to be saved with close monitoring of
indications. Copyright (c) 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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