Adverse Nondrug Reactions

Abstract

Healthy university students and hospital staff taking no medications were surveyed by questionnaire to obtain data on the occurrence of many symptoms often listed as side effects of drugs. Of 670 people surveyed, 414 indicated that they had had no illnesses and taken no medications during the previous three days and were included in the study. Only 19 per cent of the 414 stated that they had experienced none of 25 symptoms listed in the previous 72 hours. The median number of symptoms experienced per person was two. Thirty people experienced six or more of these symptoms. In the study of adverse drug reactions proper controls are just as important as in any other form of research.