Chemotherapy-Related Adverse Drug Reaction and Associated Factors Among Hospitalized Paediatric Cancer Patients at Hospitals in North-West Ethiopia

BACKGROUND: One of the prevalent treatment modalities for cancer is chemotherapy. Adverse drug reactions, however, are becoming the world’s major public health problem. More than half (54.5 percent) of cancer patients need hospitalization for further management, in addition to the increased health-care costs of treatment. The aim of this study was to evaluate adverse drug reactions associated with chemotherapy and related factors in hospitalized paediatric cancer patients in Ethiopia’s north-west hospitals. METHODS: From July 1, 2017, to August 13, 2019, a cross-sectional study was carried out among 311 paediatric cancer patients at Gondar Comprehensive University, Specialized Hospital and Felegehiwot referral hospital. The data were entered into Epi Info version 7 and exported for further analysis to Statistical Product and Service Solutions (SPSS). To identify associated variables, both the bi-variate and multi-variate logistic regression analyses were computed. Variables with a P-value of less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant in the multivariate logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The overall adverse drug reaction in this study was 41.5 percent ((95% CI: 35.8–47.2%)). Patients who received concomitant medications were at higher risk of experiencing adverse drug reactions (AOR: 2.60 (95% CI: 1.54–4.40)), according to the multivariate logistic regression analysis. Similarly, there was a risk of developing adverse drug reactions in patients taking four or more chemotherapy agents (AOR: 2.67 (95% CI: 1.52–4.68)). In addition, regimens based on etoposide (AOR: 1.99 (95% CI: 0.93–4.27)), mercaptopurine (AOR: 3.91 (95% CI: 1.06–14.46)) and doxorubicin (AOR: 2.32 (95% CI: 1.30–4.15)) were at higher risk for adverse drug reactions in patients. CONCLUSION: Adverse drug reactions developed in a significant proportion of the study patients (2 out of 5 patients). Therefore, for pediatric cancer patients on concomitant medications and for patients on etoposide, mercaptopurine and doxorubicin drug regimens, efficient prevention and management of adverse drug reactions should be sought.