Awareness of healthcare professionals about sorbitol-related diarrhea in pediatrics

Objective: We aimed to identify sorbitol content in liquid drugs and to spread awareness about sorbitol-related diarrhea to healthcare professionals. The aim of the study was to raise awareness of healthcare professionals about sorbitol-related side effects in certain situations, for example, when dealing with critically ill patients in intensive care units where drug administration and side effects are problematic, and to provide a reference list of sorbitol content in the most commonly used pediatric drugs to clinicians. Material and Methods: The study was prospective and cross-sectional, consists of two parts including drug information database review and a survey of healthcare professionals. The drug information database review was undertaken in 2015 and survey questionnaires were delivered to healthcare professionals at a University Hospital in 2016. All liquid pharmaceutical preparations marketed in Turkey by the year of 2015 were included. Volunteered and convenience sample of healthcare professionals (22 doctors and 24 nurses) were given the questionnaire and returned by 15 doctors and 20 nurses (response rate: 68% and 83%, respectively). Results: There were 13,852 pharmaceutical products containing sorbitol as an “additive substance”; of those, 1726 were liquid preparations. The results revealed that 60% of nurses were aware and cautious of the additive substances in the drug while administering doses; however, only 20% of doctors considered additive substances during prescribing in pediatrics. More than 60% of the participants were concerned that additive substances may cause gastrointestinal side effects. Conclusion: Clinicians should be aware of the risk of sorbitol-related diarrhea in patients, particularly those who are in intensive care units, have fever, infections, or other gastrointestinal diseases. Appropriate drug dosage forms or administration routes should be considered in vulnerable patients including pediatric and critically ill patients.