RISK ANALYSIS AND MANAGEMENT FOR MEDICATION OPTIMIZATION IN THE PREOPERATIVE AND POSTOPERATIVE PERIOD OF CARDIAC SURGICAL PATIENTS

Cardiac surgery becomes a life-saving option in patients once medical treatments become inadequate. In order to achieve optimal perioperative and long- term success in cardiac surgery, drug treatment should be managed precisely. Patients with cardiovascular diseases are at risk for developing drug related problems (DRPs) due to polypharmacy and having received high-alert medications, such as antiarrhythmics or antithrombotic agents. In addition, type of operation (multiple artery bypass or combined valve procedures), existence of chronic atherosclerotic diseases (such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension), length of stay (LOS) at hospital, frailty, changes in medications for unstable cardiac conditions, incomplete or inadequate history for medication at hospital admission, transition between wards by different healthcare teams and transfer of discrepancies throughout entire perioperative period contributes to increased risk of DRPs in patients at cardiac surgery. It has been shown that over one third of patients suffer from DRPs during hospitalization. Clinical pharmacists are in a position to identify and prevent DRPs, therefore can help to provide optimal pharmaceutical treatment by performing medication reconciliation, improving patient compliance, monitoring of laboratory values and conducting patient education for surgical patients.However, there is limited information about prevalence and risk factors of DRPs in patients at cardiac surgery, in particular with perioperative stages. Majority of studies regarding DRPs have been conducted in specific populations such as elderly, pediatrics or in general medicine. Therefore this study was aimed to determine prevalence, types and associated factors of drug related problems (DRPs) at both preoperative and postoperative stages in patients at cardiac-surgery by using risk analysis method.