Abstract:
There is no available standardized representation of contraindications that can be
used in drug knowledge bases. In this paper, an objectoriented representation of contraindications
is proposed that would allow computerized checking of drug prescription safety. It
distinguishes four types of contraindications: pathological state, physiological state,
findings of investigation procedures, and diagnostic or therapeutic procedures. The
vocabulary usable for expressing the contraindications appropriate for automated prescription
checking was also investigated. ICDlO (International Classification of Diseases, tenth
revision), SNOMED III (Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine), ICPC (International
Classification of Primary Care), and ATC (Anatomic Therapeutic and Chemical Classification)
were studied as potential sources of standardized vocabulary. A system to support
entering data on contraindications into a drug knowledge base, compatible with the
proposed structure and using the identified vocabulary sources, is also presented.
Keywords
Drug Contraindications - Drug Prescription - Knowledge Base - Information Modeling