Supratherapeutic use of over-the-counter (OTC) analgesics by patients reporting to an urban medical center

Background: In a previous study of urban dental clinic (DC) patients, OTC analgesic use was common (82/127), as was supratherapeutic misuse (17/82). Analgesics requiring fewer total tablets per day for therapeutic dosing were more likely to be misused. We surveyed emergency department (ED) patients to characterize their OTC analgesic use and to compare the two patient populations. Methods: Patients reporting to an urban ED were interviewed by trained research assistants using a standardized questionnaire. We recorded patient demographics, the types and amounts of OTC analgesics taken over the past 3 days, and safety perceptions. The study was completed over 8 consecutive days. We defined supratherapeutic as a daily cumulative dose greater than the recommended daily dosage on the package. We defined primary OTC analgesic as the medication taken in the greatest amount if a combination of analgesics was used. Results: Only 5% of ED patients misused OTC analgesics compared to 21% of DC patients in the same hospital (p < 0.05). Primary OTC analgesic in ED patients was acetaminophen (29/60) with 3% reporting misuse and in DC patients was ibuprofen (39/82) with 31% reporting misuse (see table). Conclusion: OTC analgesic use differed significantly among ED and DC patient populations of an urban medical center. Efforts to educate specific patient populations about the potential dangers of supratherapeutic OTC analgesic use should reflect these differences. # Patients: Approached Surveyed Mean Age ED 225 194 40 DC 194 127 28 # Patients: % Males Using OTC Misusing OTC ED 57 60 3 DC 52 82 17 Abstract 101. Havey JM, Phelan S, Bogdan GM, Pons P, Dart RC. Rocky Mountain Poison & Drug Center and Denver Health Medical Center--Denver Health; Univ. CO Health Sciences Center, Denver, CO
Havey JM, Phelan S, Bogdan GM, Pons P, Dart RC. Rocky Mountain Poison & Drug Center and Denver Health Medical Center--Denver Health; Univ. CO Health Sciences Center, Denver, [...]