Investigation of polypharmacy, antimicrobial-related potential drug–drug interactions in patients with hematological malignancies.

This article focuses on the prevalence and characteristics of potential drug–drug interactions (pDDIs) between antimicrobials and other medications in patients with hematological malignancies (HMs) hospitalized at Ankara City Hospital. Analyzing medication data from 233 patients between January and July 2021, the study found that 72.5% of patients experienced major antimicrobial-related pDDIs, particularly those diagnosed with acute leukemia and multiple myeloma. These interactions were associated with longer hospital stays and clinically significant adverse events, with fluconazole and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole being the most frequently involved antimicrobials. The study also revealed poor agreement among three drug interaction databases (UptoDate, Drugs.com, and MedScape) in identifying major pDDIs, highlighting the need for clinicians to consult multiple sources. The authors conclude that further research is necessary to assess the clinical and economic impacts of these interactions in patients with HMs.