Characteristics of children and adolescents first prescribed proton pump inhibitors or histamine-2-receptor antagonists: an observational cohort study
Ruigómez A., et al., Curr Med Res Opin, 2017
Objective: To describe the characteristics of pediatric patients prescribed proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) versus those of pediatric patients prescribed histamine-2-receptor antagonists (H2RAs).
Methods: Observational studies were conducted using The Health Improvement Network (THIN) and the PHARMO Database Network. Patients aged 0-18 years who were first prescribed a PPI or H2RA between 1 October 2009 and 30 September 2012 (THIN) or 1 September 2008 and 31 August 2011 (PHARMO) were included. Patient characteristics were identified and compared between the PPI and H2RA cohorts using odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) adjusted for age and sex.
Results: The mean age (years) was higher in the PPI than in the H2RA cohorts (THIN 12.3 [n = 8204] vs 5.4 [n = 7937], PHARMO 11.0 [n = 15 362] vs 7.1 [n = 6168]). Previous respiratory disease was more common in the PPI than in the H2RA cohort in THIN (OR 1.19, 95% CI 1.08 - 1.30), as was asthma and respiratory medication use in PHARMO (OR 1.27, 95% CI 1.12 - 1.45 and OR 1.23, 95% CI 1.10 - 1.38, respectively) and oral corticosteroid use in both databases (OR 1.45, 95% CI 1.10-1.92 [THIN]; OR 2.80, 95% CI 2.11-3.71 [PHARMO]). Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, antibiotics, and oral contraceptives were also more common in PPI than in H2RA cohorts in both databases.
Conclusions: Pediatric patients receiving PPIs and those receiving H2RAs may represent different patient populations. PPIs may be more commonly prescribed than H2RAs among patients with respiratory diseases.
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