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Clinical Effects of Meperidine in Hospitalized Medical Patients
Author(s) -
MILLER RUSSELL R.,
JICK HERSHEL
Publication year - 1978
Publication title -
the journal of clinical pharmacology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.92
H-Index - 116
eISSN - 1552-4604
pISSN - 0091-2700
DOI - 10.1002/j.1552-4604.1978.tb01591.x
Subject(s) - medicine , emergency medicine , anesthesia , intensive care medicine
Of 26,294 hospitalized medical patients monitored in a drug surveillance program, 366 (1.4%) received meperidine orally and 3268 (12.4%) received meperidine parenterally during one or more admissions. Neoplastic disease was the most common category of primary diagnosis (43%) among oral recipients; among parenteral recipients cardiovascular and neoplastic diseases (23% each) were most common. Oral meperidine was prescribed almost exclusively (93%) for pain relief, whereas the parenteral drug also had substantial use (41%) as a diagnostic and preoperative adjunct. Oral meperidine was judged by attending physicians to have provided unsatisfactory pain relief in 22% of recipients, while parenteral meperidine was rated unsatisfactory in 11%. The drug was less effective in patients with a primary diagnosis of neoplastic disease than in patients with other primary diagnoses. Minor gastrointestinal disturbances were the most commonly reported adverse reactions among oral meperidine recipients (2.7%); among parenteral recipients central nervous system effects were most common (1.2%). Seven recipients had life-threatening adverse reactions. However, only two of these were judged definitely related to meperidine, and in both instances other drugs were also definitely implicated. Adverse reactions were dose related.