Pharmacoepidemiology and drug safety
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Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf · Mar 2006
Comparative StudyAdverse effects of neuromuscular blocking agents based on yellow card reporting in the U.K.: are there differences between males and females?
Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are known to occur during anaesthesia; in the U.K. such ADRs may be reported through the Yellow Card Scheme (YCS). Our aim was to determine the demographics of ADRs to neuromuscular blocking drugs without formal causality assessment. ⋯ Sex differences in mortality exist in this analysis. The unexpected high frequency of non-allergic ADRs suggests that morbidity and mortality from reactions to established drugs is twice that expected from allergic reactions alone. Standards and guidance for the reporting of ADRs warrant urgent development.
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Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf · Feb 2006
Comparative StudyCancer incidence in a general population of asthma patients.
Several studies have assessed the association between asthma and cancer but none of them revealed a clear pattern of association. We aimed to examine the association between asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and cancer. ⋯ Asthma was not associated with an increased risk of cancer. In fact, the risk of non-smoking related cancer was slightly reduced. However, we observed a small-elevated risk of lung cancer among asthmatic patients. Whether this result is a due to residual confounding and/or protopathic bias remains unclear. Further investigation is warranted to confirm or discard these associations.
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Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf · Jan 2006
Exploring the effect of transient exposure on the risk of acute events by means of time-window designs: an application to fluoroquinolone antibacterials and arrhythmia.
To compare different strategies in allocating time-window at risk and in choosing optimal comparator in the setting of proarrhythmic effects of antibacterial fluoroquinolones. ⋯ Time-windows designs should be performed by allocating the time-windows at risk and comparing outcome events observed in the cohort during these periods with those experienced by the same cohort during an adequate reference period.
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Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf · Nov 2005
National differences in reporting 'pneumonia' and 'pneumonia interstitial': an analysis of the WHO International Drug Monitoring Database on 15 drugs in nine countries for seven pulmonary conditions.
Increased post-marketing reports of 'interstitial pneumonia' as an adverse drug reaction (ADR) from the use of gefitinib, irinotecan, or leflunomide among patients in Japan have not been noted in other countries. The WHO International Drug Monitoring Database was analyzed to examine Japan's pattern of reporting the term 'pneumonia interstitial' for 15 selected drugs with a mixed history of association with pulmonary ADRs. ⋯ Japan and France were found to preferentially use the term 'pneumonia interstitial' for ADR where other countries used 'pneumonia.' This cultural pattern coincides with the fact that 'pneumonia interstitial' in older versions of COSTART, J-ART, and MedDRA were subsumed under infectious pulmonary diseases.
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Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf · Oct 2005
Utilization of hospital and outpatient care for adverse cutaneous reactions to medications.
To quantify hospitalizations, visits to office based physicians, hospital clinics and emergency departments with primary diagnoses of skin conditions that are often due to drug reaction. ⋯ Skin conditions often attributed to drugs are frequent reasons for hospitalization and physician visits. Optimal care of the individual patients with these conditions requires careful attention to drugs as a possible cause.