Objective: To evaluate the prescription in relation to the possible interactions between drugs and foods/nutrients in the diets of patients in the Hospital Regional Justino Luz in the municipality of Picos, Piauí, Brazil.
Methods: The sample consisted of 60 medical records of patients admitted at the hospital. The records were analyzed according to the presence or absence of interactions between drugs and foods/nutrients of the prescribed diets.
Results: Of the 82 drugs prescribed in all periods, there were 16 drugs (19.5%) with possible interaction with food, a total of 60 interactions between nutrient/food and medicine. Thus, 18 (30%), 10 (17%) and 8 (13%) possible interactions were identified with captopril (cardiovascular drug) with acetylsalicylic acid (anti-inflammatory) and spironolactone (diuretic), respectively representing the highest numbers of interactions among the classes of investigated drugs. It was also found that the total interactions between food/nutrients and drugs, 32 (53%) accounted for interactions with cardiovascular drugs, 13 (22%) with anti-inflammatory drugs, 11 (18%) with diuretic agents e 4 (7%) with drugs that act on the digestive tract.
Conclusion: There was a high number of interactions between food/nutrients and medicines emphasizing the need for prior knowledge of these interactions as a way to avoid impairment in the treatment, longer hospital stays and/or damage to the nutritional status of the patients.