Potentially harmful drug–drug interactions in the therapeutic regimens of persons with spinal cord injury

This study looked at the potential for harmful drug interactions in people with spinal cord injuries (SCI) because they often take many medications. The researchers wanted to find out which drug combinations were most likely to cause problems. The study found that almost three out of ten individuals with SCI were at risk of having a potentially harmful drug interaction. The risk was higher for those taking many medications at once. The most common potentially harmful drug combinations involved opioids, gabapentinoids, skeletal muscle relaxants and benzodiazepines. These combinations can increase the risk of serious side effects, such as respiratory depression.

• 1
  Almost three out of ten individuals with spinal cord injury were at risk of having a potentially harmful drug interaction.
• 2
  The risk of having a potential DDI was highly associated with polypharmacy.
• 3
  The top 3 prevalent DDIs were Opioids + Skeletal Muscle Relaxants, Opioids + Gabapentinoids, and Benzodiazepines + ≥2 other central nervous system (CNS)-active drugs.