scholarly journals Examining patterns in opioid prescribing for non-cancer-related pain in Wales: preliminary data from a retrospective cross-sectional study using large datasets

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 145-158 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma Davies ◽  
Ceri Phillips ◽  
Jaynie Rance ◽  
Berni Sewell
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
General Practice ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Study Cohort ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Opioid Prescription ◽  
Adult Age ◽  
Opioid Prescribing ◽  
Strong Opioid

Objectives: To examine trends in strong opioid prescribing in a primary care population in Wales and identify if factors such as age, deprivation and recorded diagnosis of depression or anxiety may have influenced any changes noted. Design: Trend, cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses of routine data from the Primary Care General Practice database and accessed via the Secure Anonymised Information Linkage (SAIL) databank. Setting: A total of 345 Primary Care practices in Wales. Participants: Anonymised records of 1,223,503 people aged 18 or over, receiving at least one opioid prescription between 1 January 2005 and 31 December 2015 were analysed. People with a cancer diagnosis (10.1%) were excluded from the detailed analysis. Results: During the study period, 26,180,200 opioid prescriptions were issued to 1,223,503 individuals (55.9% female, 89.9% non-cancer diagnoses). The greatest increase in annual prescribing was in the 18–24 age group (10,470%), from 0.08 to 8.3 prescriptions/1000 population, although the 85+ age group had the highest prescribing rates across the study period (from 149.9 to 288.5 prescriptions/1000 population). The number of people with recorded diagnoses of depression or anxiety and prescribed strong opioids increased from 1.2 to 5.1 people/1000 population (328%). The increase was 366.9% in areas of highest deprivation compared to 310.3 in the least. Areas of greatest deprivation had more than twice the rate of strong opioid prescribing than the least deprived areas of Wales. Conclusion: The study highlights a large increase in strong opioid prescribing for non-cancer pain, in Wales between 2005 and 2015. Population groups of interest include the youngest and oldest adult age groups and people with depression or anxiety particularly if living in the most deprived communities. Based on this evidence, development of a Welsh national guidance on safe and rational prescribing of opioids in chronic pain would be advisable to prevent further escalation of these medicines. Summary points This is the first large-scale, observational study of opioid prescribing in Wales. Over 1 million individual, anonymised medical records have been searched in order to develop the study cohort, thus reducing recall bias. Diagnosis and intervention coding in the Primary Care General Practice database is limited at input and may lead to under-reporting of diagnoses. There are limitations to the data available through the Secure Anonymised Information Linkage databank because anonymously linked dispensing data (what people collect from the pharmacy) are not currently available. Consequently, the results presented here could be seen as an ‘intention to treat’ and may under- or overestimate what people in Wales actually consume.

scholarly journals Cross sectional study estimating prevalence of heart failure and left ventricular systolic dysfunction in community patients at risk

Heart ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 86 (2) ◽  
pp. 172-178 ◽  
Author(s):  
O W Nielsen ◽  
J Hilden ◽  
C T Larsen ◽  
J F Hansen
Keyword(s):  
Heart Failure ◽  
Primary Care ◽  
General Practice ◽  
Heart Disease ◽  
Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction ◽  
Systolic Dysfunction ◽  
Left Ventricular ◽  
Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
General Practices

OBJECTIVETo examine a general practice population to measure the prevalence of signs and symptoms of heart failure (SSHF) and left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD).DESIGNCross sectional screening study in three general practices followed by echocardiography.SETTING AND PATIENTSAll patients ⩾ 50 years in two general practices and ⩾ 40 years in one general practice were screened by case record reviews and questionnaires (n = 2158), to identify subjects with some evidence of heart disease. Among these, subjects were sought who had SSHF (n = 115). Of 357 subjects with evidence of heart disease, 252 were eligible for examination, and 126 underwent further cardiological assessment, including 43 with SSHF.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURESPrevalence of SSHF as defined by a modified Boston index, LVSD defined as an indirectly measured left ventricular ejection fraction ⩽ 0.45, and numbers of subjects needing an echocardiogram to detect one case with LVSD.RESULTSSSHF afflicted 0.5% of quadragenarians and rose to 11.7% of octogenarians. Two thirds were handled in primary care only. At ⩾ 50 years of age 6.4% had SSHF, 2.9% had LVSD, and 1.9% (95% confidence interval 1.3% to 2.5%) had both. To detect one case with LVSD in primary care, 14 patients with evidence of heart disease without SSHF and 5.5 patients with SSHF had to be examined.CONCLUSIONSSHF is extremely prevalent in the community, especially in primary care, but more than two thirds do not have LVSD. The number of subjects with some evidence of heart disease needing an echocardiogram to detect one case of LVSD is 14.

scholarly journals Breathlessness and opioid prescribing in COPD in general practice: a cross-sectional, observational study

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 00299-2019
Author(s):  
David C. Currow ◽  
Miriam J. Johnson ◽  
Allan Pollack ◽  
Diana H. Ferreira ◽  
Slavica Kochovska ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
General Practice ◽  
Clinical Care ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Prescribing Patterns ◽  
Pain Patient ◽  
Chronic Obstructive ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Opioid Prescription ◽  
Obstructive Pulmonary Disease ◽  
Health Database

Chronic breathlessness is a disabling syndrome, prevalent in people with advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Regular, low-dose, oral sustained-release morphine is approved in Australia to reduce symptomatic chronic breathlessness. We aimed to determine the current prescribing patterns of opioids for chronic breathlessness in COPD in Australian general practice and to define any associated patient and practitioner characteristics.Five years (2011 to 2016) of the Bettering the Evaluation and Care of Health database, an Australian national, continual, cross-sectional study of clinical care in general practice were used. The database included 100 consecutive clinical encounters from almost 1000 general practitioners annually (n=488 100 encounters). Descriptive analyses with subsequent regression models were generated.Breathlessness as a patient-defined reason for encounter was identified in 621 of 4522 encounters where COPD was managed. Opioids were prescribed in 309 of 4522 encounters where COPD was managed (6.8%; (95% CI) 6.1–7.6), of which only 17 were prescribed for breathlessness, and the rest for other conditions almost entirely related to pain. Patient age (45–64 years versus age 80+ years, OR 1.68; 1.19–2.36), Commonwealth Concession Card holders (OR 1.70; 1.23–2.34) and socioeconomic disadvantage (OR 1.30; 1.01–1.68) were associated with increased likelihood of opioid prescription at COPD encounters. The rate of opioid prescriptions rose over the 5 years of study.In primary care encounters for COPD, opioids were prescribed in 6.8% of cases, but almost never for breathlessness. These data create a baseline against which to compare changes in prescribing as the treatment of chronic breathlessness evolves.

scholarly journals A High Prevalence Rate of a Positive Screen for Cognitive Impairment in Patients With Human Immunodeficiency Virus Attending an Irish Clinic

2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia H. McNamara ◽  
Robert Coen ◽  
Janice Redmond ◽  
Colin P. Doherty ◽  
Colm Bergin
Keyword(s):  
Human Immunodeficiency Virus ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Screening Program ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Hiv Positive ◽  
Study Cohort ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Positive Screen ◽  
Immunodeficiency Virus

Abstract Background Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-associated neurocognitive disorders occurs in 20%–50% of HIV-positive patients. We undertook this study to assess the prevalence of a positive screen for cognitive impairment in the clinic population at our institution and to demonstrate the feasibility of implementing a screening program in routine clinical encounters. Methods This was a cross-sectional study, and patients were recruited prospectively between December 2010 and February 2013. Inclusion criteria were as follows: patients were HIV positive, over the age of 18, capable of giving informed consent, and had sufficient ability to communicate in English. Patients were screened for cognitive impairment using the Brief Neurocognitive Screen. Results A total of 604 patients were recruited, and 51.5% had a positive screen for cognitive impairment. The majority of the study cohort were male (78.8%), mean age was 40.9 (standard deviation, 10.2) years, 70.9% were Irish, the most common mode of transmission was men who have sex with men (49.3%), 83% were on antiretroviral therapy, and 88.7% were virally suppressed. Logistic regression showed that the main factors predictive of a positive screen for cognitive impairment were the endorsement of cognitive symptoms (P = .024), being born in Africa (P < .000001), the use of benzodiazepines (P = .00341), being unemployed (P = .008), and consumption of more than 40 units of alcohol weekly (P = .035). There was a positive screen for depression in 9.1% and a positive screen for anxiety in 24.5%. Conclusions The study highlights the necessity for a structured, prospective, large-scale screening program for cognitive impairment across countries with limited resources and demonstrates the feasibility of easily implementing this with minimal training.

scholarly journals Opioid Prescribing Patterns for Low Back Pain Among Commercially Insured Children

Neurosurgery ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 66 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tej D Azad ◽  
Michael D Harries ◽  
Daniel Vail ◽  
Yi Jonathan Zhang ◽  
John K Ratliff
Keyword(s):  
Low Back Pain ◽  
Back Pain ◽  
Pediatric Patients ◽  
Pediatric Population ◽  
Prescribing Patterns ◽  
Low Back ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Newly Diagnosed ◽  
Opioid Prescription ◽  
Opioid Prescribing

Abstract INTRODUCTION Low back pain (LBP) may affect up to 20% of the pediatric population. No specific guidelines exist regarding pharmacotherapy for acute LBP in the pediatric population. Given this observation and the lack of data available regarding pharmacotherapy for pediatric LBP, we sought to characterize patterns of opioid prescribing in the pediatric population. METHODS We used a national database to identify pediatric patients (age 5-17) with newly diagnosed with LBP between 2008 and 2015 who did not have a red flag diagnosis, had not received an opioid prescription in the 6 mo prior to diagnosis, and had 12-mo of continuous enrollment after diagnosis. We used logistic regression to model the association between sex, geographic region, categorical age, and our primary outcome, receipt of an opioid prescription in the year following diagnosis. RESULTS Our sample included 268 228 opioid-naïve pediatric patients diagnosed with LBP between 2008 and 2015. We observed that 47 631 (17.8%) patients received physical therapy, 29 903 (11.2%) patients received chiropractic manipulative therapy, 658 (0.25%) patients received epidural steroid injection, and 281 (0.10%) patients received surgery. A total of 35 274 (13.2%) pediatric LBP patients were prescribed opioids within 12 mo from their diagnosis. Opioid prescribing decreased in all age groups over the study period age group 5 to 9 decreased from 4.2% to 2.7%, age group 10 to 14 decreased from 10.3% to 7.7%, and age group 15 to 18 yr decreased from 20.9% to 17.1%. Female pediatric patients were more likely than male patients to receive an opioid prescription (OR, 1.12, P < .0001). Patients ages 10 to 14 (OR, 2.89, P < .0001) and 15 to 18 (OR, 6.98, P < .0001) were significantly more likely to be prescribed opioids compared to patients in the youngest age group. CONCLUSION To our knowledge, we report the first observational cohort study of opioids and LBP in the pediatric population. Our findings indicate that opioids are being used for newly diagnosed LBP and receipt of opioids are associated with patient demographic factors.

scholarly journals The seroprevalence of cytomegalovirus infection in Belgium anno 2002 and 2006: a comparative analysis with hepatitis A virus seroprevalence

2019 ◽  
Vol 147 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. S. A. Smit ◽  
S. Abrams ◽  
P. Dorny ◽  
N. Speybroeck ◽  
B. Devleesschauwer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Cytomegalovirus Infection ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Hepatitis A ◽  
Hepatitis A Virus ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Cmv Infection ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Specific Immunoglobulin

AbstractCytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is endemic worldwide but its seroprevalence varies widely. The goal of this study was to estimate the age-specific seroprevalence of CMV infection in Belgium based on two cross-sectional serological datasets from 2002 and 2006. The seroprevalence was estimated relying on diagnostic test results based on cut-off values pre-specified by the manufacturers of the tests as well as relying on mixture models applied to continuous pathogen-specific immunoglobulin G antibody titre concentrations. The age-specific seroprevalence of hepatitis A virus (HAV), based on three Belgian cross-sectional serological datasets from 1993, 2002 and 2006, was used as a comparator since individuals acquire lifelong immunity upon recovery, implying an increasing seroprevalence with age. The age group weighted overall CMV seroprevalence derived from the mixture model was 32% (95% confidence interval (CI) 31–34%) in 2002 and 31% (95% CI 30–32%) in 2006. We demonstrated that CMV epidemiology differs from the immunizing infection HAV. This was the first large-scale study of CMV and HAV serial datasets in Belgium, estimating seroprevalence specified by age and birth cohort.

scholarly journals Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices towards Diabetic Retinopathy among Primary Care Physicians of Saudi Arabia: A Multicenter Cross-Sectional Study

Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 1697
Author(s):  
Ashokkumar Thirunavukkarasu ◽  
Abdulmohsen Khaled Almulhim ◽  
Faisal Ahmed Albalawi ◽  
Ziyad Muharib Alruwaili ◽  
Ola Ali Almajed ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Diabetic Retinopathy ◽  
Work Experience ◽  
Primary Care Physicians ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Attitudes And Practices

Primary care physicians play a vital role in preventing the progression of diabetic retinopathy (DR) from the initial stages to the late stages. This questionnaire-based analytical cross-sectional study was carried out to assess the knowledge, attitude, practices, and their correlation among 274 randomly selected primary care physicians in Saudi Arabia. Among the studied population, high knowledge, attitudes, and practice scores were observed in 21.5%, 15%, and 29.2% of the physicians, respectively. The mean knowledge score was significantly higher among the age group of less than 30 years (p = 0.031) and the female gender (p = 0.012). The attitude scores were significantly higher among the Saudi physicians (p = 0.027) and those with PHC work experience of less than five years (p < 0.001). Regarding the practices, a significant association was found among the age group of less than 30 years (p = 0.019) and Saudi physicians (p = 0.003). There was a significant positive correlation between knowledge (correlation coefficient (r) = 0.739, p < 0.001) and attitude (r = 0.479, p = 0.007) with the practice scores. It is recommended that targeted continuous medical education, workshops, and seminars are conducted on the prevention and care of DR among primary care physicians. Furthermore, an exploratory multicenter study that involves primary care physicians belonging to all ministries and private sectors is warranted.

scholarly journals Poliovirus immunity among adults in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: a cross-sectional serosurvey

2022 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vivian H. Alfonso ◽  
Arie Voorman ◽  
Nicole A. Hoff ◽  
William C. Weldon ◽  
Sue Gerber ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Neutralizing Antibodies ◽  
Democratic Republic ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Dried Blood Spots ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Wild Poliovirus ◽  
Adult Age ◽  
Republic Of The Congo ◽  
Eradicate Polio

Abstract Background Vaccination efforts to eradicate polio currently focus on children under 5 years of age, among whom most cases of poliomyelitis still occur. However, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), an outbreak of wild poliovirus type 1 occurred in 2010–2011 in which 16% of cases occurred among adults; in a related outbreak in the neighboring Republic of Congo, 75% of cases occurred among the same adult age-group. Given that infected adults may transmit poliovirus, this study was designed to assess adult immunity against polioviruses. Methods We assessed poliovirus seroprevalence using dried blood spots from 5,526 adults aged 15–59 years from the 2013–2014 Demographic and Health Survey in the DRC. Results Among adults in the DRC, 74%, 72%, and 57% were seropositive for neutralizing antibodies for poliovirus types 1, 2, and 3, respectively. For all three serotypes, seroprevalence tended to be higher among older age groups, those living in households with more children, and among women. Conclusions Protection against poliovirus is generally low among adults in the DRC, particularly for type 3 poliovirus. The lack of acquired immunity in adults suggests a potentially limited poliovirus circulation over the lifetime of those surveyed (spanning 1954 through 2014) and transmission of vaccine-derived poliovirus in this age group while underscoring the risk of these outbreaks among adults in the DRC.

Current Opioid Prescribing Patterns after Microdirect Laryngoscopy

2019 ◽  
Vol 129 (2) ◽  
pp. 142-148 ◽  
Author(s):  
Molly N. Huston ◽  
Rouya Kamizi ◽  
Tanya K. Meyer ◽  
Albert L. Merati ◽  
John Paul Giliberto
Keyword(s):  
The United States ◽  
Opioid Abuse ◽  
Prescribing Patterns ◽  
Opioid Analgesia ◽  
Opioid Use ◽  
Prescribing Practices ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Opioid Prescription ◽  
Opioid Prescribing

Background: The prevalence of opioid abuse has become epidemic in the United States. Microdirect laryngoscopy (MDL) is a common otolaryngological procedure, yet prescribing practices for opioids following this operation are not well characterized. Objective: To characterize current opioid-prescribing patterns among otolaryngologists performing MDL. Methods: A cross-sectional survey of otolaryngologists at a national laryngology meeting. Results: Fifty-eight of 205 physician registrants (response rate 28%) completed the survey. Fifty-nine percent of respondents were fellowship-trained in laryngology. Respondents performed an average of 13.3 MDLs per month. Thirty-four percent of surgeons prescribe opioids for over two-thirds of their MDLs, while only 7% of surgeons never prescribe opioids. Eighty-eight percent of surgeons prescribed a combination opioid and acetaminophen compound, hydrocodone being the most common opioid component. Many surgeons prescribe non-opioid analgesics as well, with 70% and 84% of surgeons recommending acetaminophen and ibuprofen after MDL respectively. When opioids were prescribed, patient preference, difficult exposure and history of opioid use were the most influential patient factors. Concerns of opioid abuse, the physician role in the opioid crisis, and literature about postoperative non-opioid analgesia were also underlying themes in influencing opioid prescription patterns after MDL. Conclusions: In this study, over 90% of practicing physicians surveyed are prescribing opioids after MDL, though many are also prescribing non-opioid analgesia as well. Further studies should be completed to investigate the needs of patients following MDL in order to allow physicians to selectively and appropriately prescribe opioid analgesia postoperatively.

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