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US Emergency Department Visits for Acute Harms from Over-the-Counter Cough and Cold Medications, 2017-2019
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2 2022
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Source: Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf. 31(2):225-234
[PDF-281.21 KB]
Details:
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Alternative Title:Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf
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Personal Author:
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Description:Background and Purpose:
Characterization of emergency department (ED) visits for acute harms related to use of over-the-counter cough and cold medications (CCMs) by patient demographics, intent of CCM use, concurrent substance use, and clinical manifestations can help guide prevention of medication harms.
Methods:
Public health surveillance data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System–Cooperative Adverse Drug Event Surveillance project were used to estimate numbers and population rates of ED visits from 2017-2019.
Results:
Based on 1,396 surveillance cases, there were an estimated 26,735 (95% CI, 21,679-31,791) US ED visits for CCM-related harms annually, accounting for 1.3% (95% CI, 1.2%-1.5%) of all ED visits for medication adverse events. Three fifths (61.4%, 95% CI, 55.6%-67.2%) of these visits were attributed to non-therapeutic CCM use (nonmedical use, self-harm, unsupervised pediatric exposures). Most visits by children aged <4 years (74.0%, 95% CI, 59.7%-88.3%) were for unsupervised CCM exposures. Proportion hospitalized was higher for visits for self-harm (76.5%, 95% CI, 68.9%-84.2%) than for visits for nonmedical use (30.3%, 95% CI, 21.1%-39.6%) and therapeutic use (8.8%, 95% CI, 5.9%-11.8%). Overall, estimated population rates of ED visits for CCM-related harms were higher for patients aged 12-34 years (16.5 per 100,000, 95% CI, 13.0-20.0) compared with patients aged <12 years (5.1 per 100,000, 95% CI, 3.6–6.5) and ≥35 years (4.3 per 100,000, 95% CI, 3.4-5.1). Concurrent use of other medications, illicit drugs, or alcohol was frequent in ED visits for nonmedical use (61.3%) and self-harm (75.9%).
Conclusions:
Continued national surveillance of CCM-related harms can assess progress toward safer use.
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Source:
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Pubmed ID:34757641
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Pubmed Central ID:PMC10917081
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Funding:
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Volume:31
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Issue:2
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