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Risk for respiratory events in a cohort of patients receiving inhaled zanamivir: A retrospective study
- Source :
-
Clinical Therapeutics . Nov2002, Vol. 24 Issue 11, p1786. 14p. - Publication Year :
- 2002
-
Abstract
- <B>Background:</B> Inhaled zanamivir is indicated for treatment of uncomplicated acute illness due to influenza A and B viruses in patients aged <F>≥12 years</F> who have been symptomatic for no more than 2 days.<B>Objective:</B> The primary objective of this study was to estimate the incidence of adverse respiratory events among zanamivir-treated patients under conditions of usual care.<B>Methods:</B> The Ingenix research database includes insurance claims for all dispensations, inpatient and outpatient services, and procedures including the associated diagnoses and costs for a subset of all enrolled UnitedHealthcare members. We identified all persons with a dispensation of zanamivir recorded between October 1, 1999, and April 30, 2000. We captured medical and pharmaceutical claims data for the 6 months before the dispensation to obtain information about comorbidities, overall health status, and respiratory events. Medical and hospital record abstraction and clinical review served to confirm inpatient/emergency department (ED) events. We also examined the records of an ∼ 10% random sample of patients treated for a potential respiratory event in an outpatient/physician office visit during the 10-day follow-up period. Respiratory events not sufficiently severe to result in medical care were not captured in this study.<B>Results:</B> A total of 5498 eligible zanamivir dispensations contributed by 5450 patients (2911 females, 2539 males; mean age, 38.8 years), with 40 confirmed inpatient/ED respiratory events, were included in the study. Of these 40 events, 31 were pneumonia, bronchitis, or exacerbations of existing chronic respiratory disease; none required intubation or ventilation. No events occurred on the dispensation date. The overall risk for an inpatient/ED respiratory event was 0.7 per 100 episodes (95% CI, 0.5–1.0). Seven events of wheezing or shortness of breath were not an obvious extension of the original influenza-like illness or of a complicating bronchitis (<F>risk = 0.13 per 100 episodes; 95% CI, 0.06–0.26</F>).<B>Conclusions:</B> No immediate or severe bronchoconstrictive responses occurred among 5498 zanamivir dispensations. The overall risk for any respiratory event was low, and none was sufficiently severe to suggest respiratory failure. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]
- Subjects :
- *RESPIRATORY infections
*INFLUENZA
*MEDICAL care
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 01492918
- Volume :
- 24
- Issue :
- 11
- Database :
- Academic Search Index
- Journal :
- Clinical Therapeutics
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 8804962
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1016/S0149-2918(02)80079-0