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Drug‐induced liver injury in a Swedish University hospital out‐patient hepatology clinic
Author(s) -
DE VALLE M. B.,
AV KLINTEBERG V.,
ALEM N.,
OLSSON R.,
BJÖRNSSON E.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
alimentary pharmacology and therapeutics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.308
H-Index - 177
eISSN - 1365-2036
pISSN - 0269-2813
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2036.2006.03117.x
Subject(s) - medicine , hepatology , drug , liver injury , university hospital , gastroenterology , emergency medicine , intensive care medicine , pharmacology
Summary Background Limited data exist on the proportion of drug‐induced liver injury among out‐patients seen in a hepatology clinic. Aim To determine the proportion of drug‐induced liver injury cases, and identify the most important agents and the nature of the liver injury. Methods A computerized diagnoses database in an out‐patient hepatology clinic in a Swedish University hospital was analysed during the period 1995–2005. All suspected drug‐induced liver injury cases were causality assessed with the International Consensus Criteria. Results A total of 1164 cases were seen for the first time during this period. Drug‐induced liver injury with at least a possible causal relationship was found in 77 cases (6.6%), 38 (3.3%) of whom were referred for evaluation to the out‐patient clinic whereas 3% had a follow‐up after hospitalization of drug‐induced liver injury. The median age was 58 years, 43 (56%) were females, a hepatocellular pattern was observed in 37 cases (48%), cholestatic in 31 (40%) and mixed in 12%. Antibiotics were the most common agents causing drug‐induced liver injury followed by non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs, with diclofenac most often responsible for the drug‐induced liver injury. Conclusions Drug‐induced liver injury cases constituted 6% of all out‐patients and 3% of referrals and occurred more often in women. Antibiotics and diclofenac were the most common causes of drug‐induced liver injury among out‐patients.