Drugs & aging
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Comparative Study
Safety of Antidepressant Classes Used Following Traumatic Brain Injury Among Medicare Beneficiaries: A Retrospective Cohort Study.
There is poor evidence supporting the use of any pharmacologic treatments for neuropsychiatric disorders following traumatic brain injury (TBI), especially among older adults. Informed by our recent characterization of psychotropic medication use among Medicare beneficiaries with TBI, the objective of this study was to compare the risk of several adverse events associated with use of the three most commonly used classes of antidepressants following TBI in this population. ⋯ Compared with SSRIs, use of SNRIs and TCAs following hospitalization for TBI among Medicare beneficiaries was not associated with an increased risk of any of the studied adverse events. Compared to TCAs, SSRI use was associated with increased risk of hemorrhagic stroke. This information may help guide patients and prescribers in selecting antidepressants for older adults following TBI.